KEY 2026

Southeast Europe faces a growing power-system flexibility shortage as grids, storage and dispatchable capacity lag behind project growth and rising volatility. Country-level pressures range from heavy imports in Serbia to negative prices in Croatia and faster battery deployment in Bulgaria.

Kosovo enters its highest-demand months with the 260 MW B1 unit still unavailable, increasing reliance on electricity imports. The operator has not set a return date as regional prices and interconnector availability remain key variables.

Austria's Verbund has signed a power-purchase agreement for the first project selected in Albania's first wind auction to reach construction readiness. Commercial operation is targeted for the first quarter of 2028.

Bulgaria’s operating battery fleet was reported at 6.23 GW by late October, while EBRD and Raiffeisen are financing a new 246 MW battery at Tenevo. The reported fleet and energy-flow figures require verification against underlying data.

Buyers took 34,000 of 35,000 wind guarantees of origin offered in North Macedonia’s first auction. The sale adds a price-discovery mechanism to the country’s existing administrative framework.