The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Association RES Serbia, Miloš Colić, participated in the panel “Green Energy Transition – Contribution to the High Income Economy” at the Kopaonik Business Forum on March 4, together with the Advisor to the Minister of Mining and Energy Rade Mrdak, Senior Energy Advisor at Hyundai Engineering, Neda Lazendić, CEO of EPS, Dušan Živković and Country Managing Director at Siemens Energy, Petar Šainović. The moderator of the panel discussion was the Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Belgrade, Prof. Dr. Vladimir Popović.
Auctions as a key mechanism for the growth of RES capacities
Rade Mrdak pointed out that in previous years, about 2000 MW of new capacities were launched, and currently almost 3000 MW is in the process of development, while without third auctions, that number would be approximately 3,500 MW. He emphasized the importance of system flexibility, which will increase after 2030, through projects such as the HPP Bistrica and the possible construction of the HPP Djerdap 3.
Miloš Colić spoke about the success of the first round of RES auctions, held in 2023, which were recognized as a progressive initiative in Europe. He cited the example of the Pupin WF, the construction of which 100 MW was completed in a record 10 months. He added that the market is now more mature, and investors have gained confidence to invest in Serbia.
Innovation and financial sustainability
Neda Lazendić from Hyundai Engineering pointed out that the 1 GW project, which is being developed in a consortium of Hyundai Engineering and UGT Renewables, will completely change and improve the direction of development in the RES sector. She pointed out that, thanks to the new project, EPS will make a profit. The innovation of the project lies in the integration of battery energy storage, which will enable its self-sustainability.
Petar Šainović from Siemens Energy spoke about the global expansion of the energy sector, which creates a huge demand for gas plants. He pointed out that gas is not declining, but is experiencing its expansion, especially in the context of decarbonization and the transition from coal to gas.
The future of RES and financial challenges
As part of the discussion on incentives and the financial environment, Colić reminded of the importance of holding third auctions for RES, within which 300 MW would be allocated for wind farms and 150 MW for solar power plants. He also emphasized that it is necessary to direct projects in a more efficient way, so that the infrastructure is as undemanding as possible, which would affect more favorable financial support from investors.
Rade Mrdak spoke about the importance of green certificates and corporate PPAs as mechanisms for the financial sustainability of the sector. He pointed out that this will allow energy companies to protect themselves from negative market changes.
At the end of the discussion, the panelists agreed that the green energy transition to RES is already in full swing and that the question is not whether it will happen, but how and when it will end. Dušan Živković concluded that the only way to achieve energy sustainability is to use all available resources and generate energy from all available sources.
Photo: Kopaonik Business Forum 2025