Europe
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Nuclear
Bulgarian Group Has Deal to Build Up to Six BWRX-300 SMRs
A Bulgarian energy company, along with a European project developer, has signed a letter of intent for a joint venture (JV) that could build a fleet of as many as six small modular reactors (SMRs) in the country. Blue Bird Energy AD and SGE S.A. on December 22 announced the JV would deploy BWRX-300 SMRs from GE Vernova Hitachi (GVH).
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Coal
Denmark Group: Old Coal-Fired Plants Can Be Converted to Thermal Energy Storage Facilities
Officials with Denmark-headquartered Aalborg CSP said the company has developed technology that could convert retired coal-fired power plants into thermal storage facilities for renewable energy.
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Commentary
Nuclear: The Cornerstone of Security and Sovereignty
From France’s legacy to America’s momentum, experts warn that without decisive leadership, China and Russia will dominate the nuclear-AI economy. Nuclear energy has moved from being a quiet constant to the centerpiece of a global race. Nations increasingly recognize that sovereignty—economic, technological, and cultural—depends on securing clean, stable, and independent sources of power. COMMENTARY Myrto […]
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Trends
POWER Digest [October 2025]
Two business conglomerates with interests across Asia announced a partnership to build six geothermal power plants in Indonesia.
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Energy Storage
Europe’s Biggest Battery Supports More Renewable Energy on the UK Power Grid
Zenobe, a grid-scale battery storage specialist, and Wartsila Energy Storage have launched a project designed to store excess power from several offshore wind farms in the North Sea.
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Renewables
Hydropower Growth Continues, Though Policy Challenges Loom in U.S.
Hydroelectric power generation hit a 10-year high in Europe in 2024, while hydro growth in other regions—most notably China—kept the technology at the top of the list when it comes to global energy output from renewable resources. The International Hydropower Association (IHA) in its 2025 World Hydropower Outlook said hydro is playing a “stablizing role” in Europe and elsewhere when it comes to power supplies at a time of heightened concern about volatile markets and shifting policies around energy, particularly in the U.S.
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Electrification
Europe Taps Electric Boilers to Balance the Grid
For engineering management and engineers, the total power market is rapidly changing globally. Consequently, North American district heating networks and industrial processors are taking note of key developments in the European power market today. Specifically, Finland has set one of the most advanced climate policies in the region, committing to carbon neutrality by 2035.
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Power
Europe Risks Grid Crisis Without Immediate Action on Dispatchable Power, Group Warns
Europe’s ambitious push toward carbon neutrality is rapidly replacing fossil fuel–fired power generation with variable renewable resources (VRE), but this shift is exposing the region to a growing risk of
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Commentary
The Time to Scale Up Geothermal Energy in Europe Is Now
We’re at a pivotal moment for geothermal energy in Europe, a clean, homegrown source of power, heating, and cooling. The signs are clear: interest from both politicians and investors is rising. In fact, there are numerous signals that now is the time to truly scale up geothermal energy in Europe. COMMENTARY Ever since Russia’s full-scale […]
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Renewables
SHINES Project Will Harness Tidal, River Energy in European Region
The SHINES project, or Showcasing Hydrokinetic energy Innovations for Northwest European Energy Sovereignty, is underway, bringing together 14 partners from France, Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Germany. Co-financed by Interreg North-West Europe under the fourth call for projects, SHINES is set to unlock the potential of tidal and river energy systems, an opportunity still […]
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Data Centers
Data Centers Consume 3% of Energy in Europe: Understand Geographic Hotspots and How AI Is Reshaping Demand
The rapid rise of data centers has put many power industry demand forecasters on edge. Some predict the power-hungry nature of the facilities will quickly create problems for utilities and the grid. ICIS, a data analytics provider, calculates that in 2024, demand from data centers in Europe accounted for 96 TWh, or 3.1% of total […]
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Trends
5 Trends Shaping the EMIA Power Industry in 2025
2025 will test the progress of the world’s energy transition and could forecast its direction for the next decade. With major economies pursuing budget cuts, it will be a year that challenges the economic viability of any publicly funded projects, with growing pressures to deliver faster and cheaper. For emerging technologies in particular, such as […]
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Interview
The POWER Interview: Energy Storage Supports Europe’s Decarbonization
The European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union (EU), has said countries across the continent should be encouraged to deploy energy storage. The group has said storage will support the integration of renewable energy resources to the grid, and increase power system flexibility. The use of energy storage also is key to Europe’s […]
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Business
Offshore Wind Growth and HVDC Developments in the North Sea: Key Trends and Future Outlook
Europe is pursuing an ambitious energy transition to become the world’s first climate-neutral continent by 2050. To reach this goal, the region has set stringent targets to decrease reliance on Russian fossil fuels and increase the adoption of renewable energy across the power and transportation sectors. Significant strides are being made in developing solar and […]
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Power
Market for Energy Storage Growing Across Europe
The European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union (EU), in 2023 issued recommendations on how member states should proceed with deployments of energy storage. The group said EU countries should
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Sustainability
Navigating the Transition to Sustainable MV Switchgear Amidst Decarbonization Initiatives
The push for decarbonization in Europe is reshaping the power sector. Stringent environmental regulations and ambitious renewable energy targets have necessitated the expansion and upgradation of the electricity distribution network. This is to accommodate the increased adoption of distributed energy resources (DERs) and electrification across sectors. These factors are expected to significantly drive the demand […]
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Coal
EIA: U.S. Coal Plant Stockpiles at Highest Level in Four Years
Stockpiles of fuel at U.S. coal-fired electric plants are at their highest levels since the start of the pandemic. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) on August 5 said coal stockpiles totaled 138 million short tons at the end of May, the most since the early months of 2020 when the start of the COVID-19 […]
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Coal
Price Swings Mean Coal May Replace Natural Gas in European Power Mix This Winter
Higher prices for natural gas across Europe mean some countries, particularly in Eastern Europe, likely will burn more coal for power generation during the upcoming winter season. Coal remains a large part of the energy mix in Germany—the largest energy consumer in Europe—as well as other countries such as Poland, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Romania, […]
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Energy Storage
BESS Projects Boost Clean Energy in Europe
Portugal has a goal to produce at least 80% of its electricity from renewable energy resources by 2050. Several companies are investing in the country’s power infrastructure, including Powin, an
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Nuclear
UAE Considers Investment in European Nuclear Power Projects
The state-owned nuclear energy group of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has expressed interest in supporting nuclear power projects in Europe. The news comes just weeks after the fourth unit of the emirate’s only nuclear power plant, the Barakah station (a POWER Top Plant in 2021), began delivering electricity to the grid. The Khaleej Times, […]
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Legal & Regulatory
Overcoming Hurdles in Offshore Wind Development: Ireland in a Race Against Time
As the world intensifies its efforts to combat climate change, Ireland has set ambitious goals to produce offshore renewable energy as part of its Climate Action Plan. A member of the European Union (EU)
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Trends
Seven European Countries Set Ambitious But ‘Necessary’ Target to Decarbonize Power System by 2035
The seven European countries that make up the Pentalateral Energy Forum—Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Switzerland—will strive for the decarbonization of their interconnected electricity system by 2035. The countries, which form the Pentalateral Energy Forum—a 2005-convened voluntary framework for regional energy cooperation—in a joint statement on Dec. 18 formally concluded, “timely decarbonization […]
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Nuclear
U.S. Set to Lead Global Research for Nuclear Fusion
U.S. climate envoy John Kerry said the U.S. is ready to work with other governments on research and development of nuclear fusion, as part of efforts to produce more carbon-free energy and combat climate change. Kerry made the announcement Dec. 5 at the COP28 climate conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Fusion has long been […]
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Solar
BayWa r.e. Supporting Solar Power for Agriculture Projects
Solar photovoltaic (PV) installations designed to support agriculture across the European Union (EU) received a boost in late October. BayWa r.e., a major Germany-based renewable energy developer, announced it
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Power
POWER Digest [November 2023]
Canada Commits CA$3B to Complete Romania’s CANDU Nuclear Construction. Canada will loan CA$3 billion in available export financing to Nuclearelectrica S.A. (SNN), Romania’s state-owned operator of the
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Commentary
Germany’s Energy History Is at the Root of Its Current Challenges
Over a year after the start of Russia’s attack on Ukraine, Germany is at the heart and center of current debate when it comes to energy dependence. Like most European countries, Germany did not have adequate time to wean off Russia’s rich and steady inflow of natural gas. But the impact of Russia’s abrupt supply […]
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Hydrogen
Driving Decarbonization: Lessons Learned from Europe That Can Help Unlock the U.S. Clean Hydrogen Economy
Environmental experts consider decarbonization to be among the most important keys to minimizing the effects of climate change. While the transition to a low-carbon economy may present challenges, it also offers opportunities for innovation, the creation of new jobs, and sustainable economic growth. Accordingly, the U.S., like Europe and other parts of the world, has […]
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Solar
Europe Ramps Renewables, Looks for New Gas to Reduce Reliance on Russia
European countries have moved quickly to adopt new energy sources after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Governments have reduced imports of Russian-produced energy, with demand for natural gas
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Energy Security
2022 Set a Global Record for Coal Generation
The recent shake-up in natural gas markets and their ensuing impact on energy security, and geopolitical tension, dramatically altered the trajectory of global coal-fired generation, sending it soaring to
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Solar
Major Energy Players Seal Big Deals for Renewables
The world’s oil and gas majors, along with some of the largest utility companies, continue to invest in renewable energy as they develop diversified power generation project portfolios. Among the latest is