The second round of auctions for a new 400 MW of capacities from renewable energy sources will be held this year, the minister of mining and energy of Serbia, Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic said at the panel about the investments of the private sector in renewable energy sources within the Western Balkans Investment Forum.

She added that the three-year plan of auctions for the period from 2023 till 2025, which was adopted in 2023, would secure at least 1,300 MW of new capacities from renewable energy sources through private investments, through the auctions and the allocation of market premiums.– Through the first three-year plan, we focused on big investments, because that is the only way that we can advance faster in the energy transition process. We are planning the next round of auctions for this year and a capacity of at least 400 MW for solar power plants and wind farms will be offered at it – said Djedovic Handanovic. The minister reminded that there was an interest from investors in investing in renewable energy sources, but that it was necessary to ensure a balance between the two equally important interests – new investments and the security of the supply.

She noted that the changes in the regulations in 2023 envisaged the responsibility of investors regarding the balance responsibility.– We request banking guarantees for the connection, and in the case, the system cannot integrate all the projects into the system for which connection requests have been submitted, the investor has various options for securing an additional capacity for balancing, such as battery storage – she pointed out.

Djedovic Handanovic emphasized that Serbia was the first country in the region to establish an intraday market of electrical energy that, together with Slovenia, a regional electricity exchange had been established and that Hungary was expected to join it as well.