Balkan threatens Blackout: Expert warns of summer power failures!

Balkan threatens Blackout: Expert warns of summer power failures!

The Institute for Energy Southeast Europe (Ien) in Athens warns of an impending large -scale power failure in the Balkans in summer. According to [Kosmo] (https://www.kosmo.at/balkan-blackout-droht- Stromkollaps-Immer/), similar risk factors are identified as in the blackout in June 2022, the Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina and parts affected Croatia. Professor Nedim Suljic emphasizes that the electrical energy system in the Balkans works like a system of connected vessels, which can result in a domino effect in network failures.

The drastic increase in power consumption by climate systems during heat waves is a massive threat to the existing infrastructure. Forecasts indicate high temperatures that are expected to lead to increased top consumption. This situation is also made more difficult by political quarrels and for decades missing investments in the energy sector, especially in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Corruption and lack of political stability have led to the necessary investments in the transmission network.

The role of climate change

climate change contributes significantly to the susceptibility of the power grids in the Balkan region. OT reports that sudden flooding and drought periods increase the stress of the energy infrastructure. High temperatures weaken the efficiency of solar panels and cause power lines to hang through and overheat. These physical challenges recently led to a large -scale power failure in June, in which the regulatory authority for Energy had to intervene in Greece in order to restore stability.

With a view to the upcoming summer months, the operators in Greece, Ipto and Hedno, are well positioned. Additional energy units were installed to cover the increased need during the heat waves, with a top load of over 10,000 MW on July 15 and on July 18 and 19 July with up to 10,600 MW. This increased demand has already led to increasing prices in the Greek wholesale market market, which also affected surrounding markets.

political and economic challenges

The geopolits and economic framework intensify the already unsafe location. As the bpb, political conflicts in resource countries are a risk of energy supply in Europe. The falling availability of gas due to geopolitical tensions also has an impact on the electricity markets. The EU has to rely on liquid gas imports, which further increases prices and presents households and industries with financial challenges.

The IENE concludes in its analysis that Southeast Europe remains susceptible to power failures. Nevertheless, the risks can be reduced by solid planning, regional coordination and timely investments in the infrastructure. The focus on renewable energies alone is not enough to eliminate the security challenges in the energy sector. On the contrary, the transformation towards a more sustainable energy system also brings new dependencies and risks.