Construction of Facilities, Prosumers as New Important Players, Issuing of Green Bonds – What Sponsors of 2022 Trebinje Energy Summit Say (1)

There is a large number of companies from the region that will present themselves at the 2022 Trebinje Energy Summit. According to their representatives, it will be an opportunity to discuss all the challenges of the energy future ahead of us with other participants.

Whether it’s construction of new energy facilities, offer of equipment and services, electric mobility, role of citizens in electricity production, stock exchange trade or the increasing digitization in energy, gathering at the summit will enable companies to present their most current projects, point to new trends and present their solutions. We are witnesses to the fact that the energy market is changing at an accelerated pace and that it is imperative to keep up with all the new features, and securing energy stability in the current circumstances is the number 1 topic.

We present the sponsors of SET 2022:

EFT Group has been actively trading electrical energy in the markets of the countries of southeast, central and partly western Europe for over two decades, from their very beginnings, to the current situation, when most European markets are mutually integrated and therefore very codependent. Parallel with the trade, EFT Group is dedicated to investments since its founding, so, at SET 2022, they will highlight the dedication to the further investments in the energy sector, primarily in renewable sources of electrical energy throughout the region.

– The balance in the production mix, which needs to secure as much green energy as possible, but also enough production capacities, both for the balancing of its meteorologically conditioned production and its full compensation in the period when the energy from renewable sources is not there at all, as is the nature of things, for example, in dark nights without wind, is delicate. It is for these reasons that the current energy transition needs to be approached strategically, carefully and with measure, so that, in a few decades, there would be the optimal technological-economic solution, which will certainly not satisfy everybody, but which should make everyone better than they are now, while taking into considerations the special characteristics of each country and the region. A suitable favorable investment environment for future projects is of great importance for the success of this not so small endeavor, which lies ahead of the whole Europe, but primarily the Western Balkans, which should keep up with it in certain segments of the electrical energy sector – points out EFT Group.

The year 2021 was very successful for EFT Group. Despite the volatile market conditions, the impact of the pandemic on the overall business conditions, they maintained a stable and profitable trade and continued the realization of the previously initiated investment projects.

– The works on our two new production projects, HPP Ulog and Solar Power Plant Bileca, are going as planned. Judging by the work done so far and the current dynamic of the works, it is to be expected that the projects will be completed within the planned deadlines.

As for the activities in the upcoming period, the focus of EFT Group will be on successfully realizing the initiated production projects, that is, on having the two new power plants successfully put into operation and included in the production portfolio of EFT Group.

– Parallel with this, we are considering the investment for the realization of new projects in the region, primarily in the domain of renewable sources of electrical energy. We are also following the projects of other companies in the region which find long-term electric energy purchase agreements interesting. The trading part of our group is certainly continuing its everyday activities of trading electrical energy with power companies, big consumers, as well as our other clients and electrical energy markets, to the end of optimizing our entire portfolio – EFT Group concludes.

Prosumers arriving to the scene

In 2022, Dwelt will especially dedicate itself to the topic of buyers-producers, so-called “prosumers”, because a new Law on Electrical Energy has come into effect in Republika Srpska, which, for the first time, incites active participation of end-purchasers, that is, consumers in the retail market. The implementation of the prosumer concept in practice entails enabling end-purchasers to produce electrical energy for their personal needs, to store it or deliver it to the distribution network. Everybody who both produces and consumes (primarily their own) electrical energy is considered a prosumer.

– In an early phase, Dwelt recognized the importance and potential of energy communities and the strengthening of prosumers, so it is involved in the conceptual development of a software solution which supports buyers-producers, together with a partner company from Germany. The concept of a prosumer is an important factor in the sense that the production of electrical energy of the end-purchasers pertains exclusively to renewable energy sources, which is a considerable step forward in reaching climate and energy goals – the company clarifies.

As they point out, what’s achieved by introducing prosumers to a system and a society is decentralization, that, is returning autonomy to the end-users when it comes to their own production of electrical energy, their own energy efficiency and the reduction of carbon-dioxide emissions.

– According to the directive on the promotion of electrical energy from renewable sources, the conclusion is that only a changed role of the end-consumers in the ecosystem can contribute and directly help solve the current challenges in the energy sector. So, energy users become the focus and the center of the energy sector. This not only brings ecological benefits, but also social and economic ones. It is therefore important to discuss the concrete steps and activities which are needed for this concept to take root in our country too. We also want to see how much the technology we are developing for the European market is applicable to our local market – says Dwelt.

For them, the year 2021 was marked by the challenges of internationalization, because they are in the process of implementation of their software model in the demanding German market. Last year, Dwelt employed over 10 young engineers, which means a constant challenge in managing the fast growth of the company.

– In addition to the challenges, we also had many successful moments. After the first award at PODIM 2021, which we learned about a day before the beginning of last year’s SET, we got the first prize of the company Deloitte, The World Bank and Western Balkans Entrepreneurship and Innovation Facility (WB EDIF) for Western Balkans entrepreneurial excellence. After two important awards, a third one followed, from the Vestbee startup platform, which pronounced us one of the most companies for investments in the CEE region. Also, the Valuer platform pronounced us one of the best “green” startups in Europe. Furthermore, in June 2021, we signed a strategic partnership with the Berlin-based company Grid Singularity, which is one of the first companies to conceptually develop the idea of energy communities, that is, to enable the creation of buyers-producers. For that reason, the topic of buyers-producers is especially interesting to us.

When asked about the plans for the upcoming period, they say that they are negotiating with a strategically important investor and partner which is an important player in the energy sector in Europe, directly involved in over 200 global projects with the focus on renewable energy sources and energy sustainability.

– Together with them, we will enable a quicker implementation of our software platform in the market of Europe- Dwelt says.

Green bonds

Elektroprivreda RS is the first company headquartered outside the European Union whose bonds got the status of “green bonds”, and their issue at the Vienna Stock Exchange is executed by Monet Broker from Banjaluka.

– This issue is not just important for Elektroprivreda RS as the issuer, but also for Republika Srpska and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as it is the first issue by a company from RS/BiH in the international market. Its importance is that much greater considering these are “green bonds”, whose status is determined by the “Green Bond Framework” document, which was prepared by The European House Ambrosetti from Milan, and which was confirmed by an opinion of the company Sustainalytics from Amsterdam – Monet Broker says.

In their long-standing practice in the capital market, they’ve worked on specific projects and, through their successful realization, they say, they’ve built their leading position, which they maintain through constant innovations and business upgrades. Now they are engaged in the issuing of municipal bonds of the municipality of Pelagicevo and corporate bonds of Elektrodistribucija Pale.

– At the upcoming Energy Summit, we will talk about the steps that need to be taken so as to step into the energy future shoulder to shoulder with other European countries, which is ambitious, but necessary, so as to keep up with them. Therefore, we would like to say to the expert public that the fact that we are not as developed as other European countries should not be seen as a detriment, but as a call to action, because, even through we are poor by numerous criteria, what’s certain is that we have a very rich energy potential. In that sense, we would like to emphasize the importance of investments in renewable energy sources. We have recognized the importance of it and ventured into the project of issuing the bonds of Elektroprivreda Republike Srpske at the Vienna Stock Exchange, which, after great efforts to meet the necessary conditions, got the status of “green bonds” by renowned, certified European houses – says Monet Broker.

Planning the next steps, they say that their goal is to continue introducing new financial products in their operations, so as to keep pushing the boundaries.

– We believe that it is important to follow the practice in the environment, but also the rest of Europe, and to adopt the solutions which have produced good results. We will strive to introduce a special segment of financing to the market of Bosnia and Herzegovina through the issuing of green bonds, which would provide companies with access to financial funds under more favorable conditions than those currently available in the financial market. The issue of green bonds, as securities, would enable an unobstructed financing of ecologically acceptable and socially responsible projects. As finance institutions have the obligation to diversify their portfolios, they have to invest a certain percentage of the available funds in “green” securities. On the other hand, numerous companies need financial funds to keep developing. This would create a synergetic effect of market development – Monet Broker emphasizes.

Turnkey solar power plants

In the next five to ten years, we expect the construction of several GW in solar power plants in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Balkans region, says Euro Solar, a company which operates within Hifa Oil Group. At SET 2022, Euro Solar will therefore present their full range of equipment for photovoltaic/solar power plants.

– We want to present Longi, a producer of solar panels, Huawei and SMA inverters for solar power plants and their other components, without which a solar plant cannot function. The Euro Solar sector offers full equipment for solar systems, among other things, all types of structures for solar power plants, both on roofs and on the ground. In addition to the Euro Solar sector, Hifa Oil will present the full range of products it has within Hifa Oil Group.

Hifa Oil, headquartered in Tesanj, is the biggest private distributor of oil and oil products. The group features companies such as: Euro Metali, Euro Roal, Euro Stil, Lbprofile, Hifa Oil CG, Bitrol, Akulux, BoWiDo, Euro Roal and Euro Metali Zagreb, Euro Fly, Hit Design, Solution Hub.

Euro Solar provides the full service of the turnkey construction of photovoltaic power plants, together with its business partners, with which it has a business-technical cooperation. Those companies design, build, assemble, test and maintain photovoltaic power plants.

– It is important to show to people what solar energy, green energy, is, what the advantages are and what the overall benefit of solar power plants is, what the savings are, what the legal frameworks are regarding the construction of both small solar systems and large solar parks of several dozen megawatts.

Euro Solar is engaged in projects of the construction of photovoltaic power plants throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, and they also have several projects in Serbia and North Macedonia. Those are projects of several dozen kW to dozens of MW.

– Our focus in the next period will be to build as many solar power plants as possible due to a reduction in CO2 emissions, EU directives and the new legal frameworks, which need to comply with EU standards – Euro Solar says.

Let us remind that the 2022 Trebinje Energy Summit is held between March 16 and 18, organized by Elektroprivreda RS, the City of Trebinje and the company SET.

The eKapija portal is the media sponsor of the Summit. You can read about the participants and the topics of the Summit HERE.

Teodora Brnjoš

Izvor: eKapija