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Regional power-flow shifts after the Pljevlja shutdown: Montenegro in a rewired Balkan energy landscape Read More »

Regional power-flow shifts after the Pljevlja shutdown: Montenegro in a rewired Balkan energy landscape

The shutdown of Pljevlja transforms Montenegro’s internal energy balance, but its implications extend beyond national borders. In the interconnected Balkan power system, every addition or removal of a major unit reshapes flows, congestion points, trade patterns and price correlations. Montenegro’s transition to a predominantly hydro-wind profile introduces a new dynamic into a region already balancing […]

Private wind producers in Montenegro: From peripheral players to system-defining actors Read More »

Private wind producers in Montenegro: From peripheral players to system-defining actors

Montenegro’s power system is undergoing a quiet reordering of influence. Where state hydro once dominated unchallenged and Pljevlja provided the stable backbone, private wind producers are emerging as system-defining actors. They are reshaping generation patterns, altering the economics of supply, influencing price formation and pushing Montenegro into deeper integration with regional markets. The first generation

Balancing costs in Montenegro’s post-coal power system Read More »

Balancing costs in Montenegro’s post-coal power system

As Montenegro steps into a future without Pljevlja’s coal-fired stability, the cost of balancing becomes the defining economic metric of its power system. Balancing is never a simple technicality; it is the financial manifestation of volatility. When wind ramps up quickly or collapses within minutes, when hydrology restrains reservoir operations, when cross-border flows tighten and

Montenegro’s power future: Transitioning from coal at Pljevlja to wind, hydro and import options Read More »

Montenegro’s power future: Transitioning from coal at Pljevlja to wind, hydro and import options

Montenegro finds itself at a key inflection point. The only coal-fired thermal power plant in the country, Yugoslav Thermal Power Plant Pljevlja (TPP Pljevlja), with an installed capacity of about 225 MW, has for decades been the backbone of domestic generation and is now scheduled for gradual shutdown. (OECD) Its decommissioning raises fundamental questions about

Using coal fundamentals in short-term spread strategies in SEE power markets Read More »

Using coal fundamentals in short-term spread strategies in SEE power markets

A trader’s guide to converting lignite production signals into actionable price intelligence Short-term electricity trading in South-East Europe revolves around two fundamental realities: the physical nature of the grid and the behaviour of the generating fleet. Among all conventional technologies, coal remains the single most structurally influential asset class across the region. Its importance is

Coal production, trading dynamics, trader strategies, logistics, quality and future projections in SEE Read More »

Coal production, trading dynamics, trader strategies, logistics, quality and future projections in SEE

Coal production in South-East Europe remains a defining component of the region’s energy system. Unlike international hard-coal markets, SEE coal is primarily lignite, mined domestically and consumed domestically in power plants located close to the pits. The economics, quality, logistics and production reliability of this lignite sector have substantial implications for electricity markets, price formation

Coal-fired power plants in SEE – baseload influence, outages, market effects, cross-border trading, lifespan, coal output, quality and environmental costs Read More »

Coal-fired power plants in SEE – baseload influence, outages, market effects, cross-border trading, lifespan, coal output, quality and environmental costs

Coal-fired power plants remain central to the electricity systems of South-East Europe, particularly in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Romania and Bulgaria. These units were built in an era when baseload stability mattered more than flexibility, when domestic lignite was cheap and abundant, and when environmental duties were minimal. They still produce a large share

Why Serbia cannot quickly abandon coal: The system-flexibility gap behind the energy transition Read More »

Why Serbia cannot quickly abandon coal: The system-flexibility gap behind the energy transition

Serbia’s long-term energy vision is increasingly shaped by the pressures of decarbonization, European integration, regional competition and the emerging economics of renewable power. Yet the country is confronting a reality that many policymakers hesitate to state openly: a rapid phase-out of coal is not realistically achievable under current system conditions. This sentiment, echoed by energy experts

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Coal shortages force another shutdown at TPP Ugljevik Read More »

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Coal shortages force another shutdown at TPP Ugljevik

The Ugljevik thermal power plant has once again been forced to shut down after exhausting its coal supplies, with the unit disconnected from the grid on the evening of 7 December. Acting director of RiTE Ugljevik, Žarko Novaković, confirmed that the plant remains offline and emphasized that neither the facility nor its coal storage sites

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Ugljevik coal mine and thermal power plant update Read More »

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Ugljevik coal mine and thermal power plant update

The Ugljevik coal mine and thermal power plant (RiTE Ugljevik) has not yet started extracting coal from the Ugljevik-Istok 2 deposit, as the company’s shareholders have not yet approved all required resolutions. According to RS Minister of Energy and Mining Petar Djokic, a shareholders’ assembly is scheduled for 16 December, where the company must formally

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