EVN boosts renewables for climate goals: Austrian electricity utility EVN has finalized its transition plan for the end of this decade to align with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C target, aiming for a 70% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030/31. Central to the plan is the expansion of renewable energy, with 770 MW in wind power (December 2024: 500 MW) and 300 MW in solar PV (September 2024: 93 MW) targeted by 2030, respectively. In terms of generation, it translates into annual wind production of 2 TWh, up from 1.4 TWh at the end of 2024, and annual solar PV production of 400 GWh compared to 115 GWh at the end of September 2024. Solar PV capacity additions are planned in Lower Austria, Bulgaria, and North Macedonia. Additional measures include revitalizing small hydropower, enhancing battery storage, and expanding e-mobility charging infrastructure, stated the company.
PV farm cleared for grid operation: GOLDBECK SOLAR Polska’s 204 MW Zwartowo solar farm has received a Final Operational Notification from Polish grid operator Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne (PSE), confirming compliance with technical and operational standards. GOLDBECK says the certification follows extensive testing for the project, which is one of the largest PV facilities in the country. It is now ready to be grid-connected.
Energia ownership changes: Ardian, a global private investment firm, has signed an agreement to acquire 100% of Ireland’s electricity utility, Energia Group, from I Squared Capital. Energia, serving nearly 900,000 homes and businesses across Ireland, supplies approximately 17% of the island’s total electricity and 20% of its total wind power. Energia also has an ‘attractive’ pipeline of new wind, solar, and BESS capacity, it adds. The company is working on a 165 MW data center in Dublin and will also supply renewable energy to the facility. Energia has stable income from regulated and contracted projects, while also benefiting from Ireland’s rising energy demand, according to Ardian. The transaction is expected to close in Q1 2026, pending regulatory approval.
Strategic move in Romanian renewables: Israel-based Econergy Renewable Energy announced that its subsidiary, Econergy International Ltd., will acquire Nofar Energy’s 50% stake in the 155 MW Ratesti Solar Project in Romania for €45.6 million, giving Econergy full ownership. The deal includes Nofar’s €14.85 million shareholder loan and is expected to yield a €13 million capital gain for Econergy on completion. Econergy plans a 120 MW battery storage addition by Q2 2026 for €32 million, boosting revenue and EBITDA. The Ratesti project was commissioned in 2023 (see 155 MW Solar Park Inaugurated In Romania).
Hekla Energy to power Poland’s Sosnowiec: The Polish city of Sosnowiec will run key municipal institutions entirely on renewable energy starting January 1, 2026, under a partnership with local green energy provider Hekla Energy. Under the partnership, Hekla Energy will supply certified wind, solar, and biogas power at no investment cost to the city, helping reduce emissions. The initiative covers administrative buildings, healthcare, education, cultural centers, and municipal services. Some of the key buildings to be powered by green electricity include Municipal Waste Management Company, Sosnowiec Waterworks, Sosnowiec City Hospital, Zagłębie Theatre, Sosnowiec Art Center – Sielecki Castle, the Schoen Palace – Museum in Sosnowiec, and the Gustaw Daniłowski Municipal Public Library, among others. Hekla Energy says this marks a major step toward climate neutrality for Sosnowiec, which was once a coal-dependent industrial hub.
