In a significant development for the energy sector, Serbia has reported a remarkable increase in renewable energy capacity, with a notable rise of 45% to reach 1.14 GW. This surge, driven primarily by advancements in wind and solar power, is set to continue as projections for 2026 suggest an additional 240 MW will come online. The Ministry of Mining and Energy has underscored the importance of this growth as part of the nation’s broader energy transition strategy.
From December 2024 to November 2025, Serbia’s total renewable energy capacity—including hydropower, biomass, and biogas—expanded from 3.34 GW to 3.7 GW, marking an overall growth of approximately 11%. Wind power contributed significantly with a total of 824 MW, reflecting a robust year-on-year increase of 36% (216 MW). Meanwhile, solar capacity saw an impressive expansion of 80%, rising from 178 MW to 319 MW when accounting for prosumers.
The Ministry highlighted that the combined increase from wind and solar sources alone accounted for an addition of 356 MW within just one year. This accelerated growth indicates that Serbia’s energy transition is gaining momentum, with preliminary forecasts for 2026 estimating new projects comprising 180 MW from wind and another 56 MW from solar plants, although officials caution these figures may be conservative.
Looking ahead, Serbia’s Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP), adopted in 2024, aims to achieve a total capacity of approximately 3.5 GW by targeting around 1.77 GW from wind and 1.73 GW from solar by the year 2030. To facilitate this ambitious growth trajectory, the government has conducted two rounds of auctions in recent years that offered market premiums for renewable projects. The first auction secured investments totaling €1.1 billion for new capacity amounting to 715 MW, while the second round awarded incentives for an additional 645 MW with planned investments reaching €782 million. With around 450 MW expected to connect to the grid by 2026 from these projects currently under construction, officials express confidence that the existing project pipeline will meet national renewable energy targets.
Under its national plan, Serbia aims to elevate the share of renewables to constitute about 33.6% of gross final energy consumption and achieve a target of approximately 45% for electricity consumption by the year 2030. As it stands in 2024, renewables accounted for about 25.8% of total final energy usage and approximately 32% of electricity consumption. This initiative aligns closely with the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans and supports Europe’s overarching climate neutrality objectives set for mid-century.
Simultaneously, Serbia is reinforcing its fossil fuel infrastructure as part of a diversification strategy focused on enhancing gas and oil supply routes. Over the next two years, plans are underway to establish new gas interconnectors with North Macedonia and Romania, which will improve access to vital resources such as the Southern Gas Corridor and LNG terminals in Greece while also exploring potential hydrogen transport capabilities. These developments will connect Serbia with both the BRHA pipeline and Romanian gas sources. Although Russian gas remains predominant through the Balkan Stream pipeline, additional routes are anticipated to facilitate imports exceeding four billion cubic meters annually—enhancing long-term supply security.
On the oil front, Serbia has initiated the Serbia–Hungary oil pipeline project aimed at securing supply chains over the next three to four decades. With feasibility studies completed and permitting processes currently underway, construction is projected to commence later this year.
