Ioana Ciuta

Strategic area leader at @ceebankwatch. Tweets cover all things fossil fuels in Eastern Europe. In love with free mountain rivers. Born at 340 ppm.

[Pippa Gallop @pippagallop]

Zašto je gasifikacija FBiH loša ideja❓

Denis Žiško iz Aarhus Centra u 🇧🇦 objašnjava👇

https://t.co/jjIDUThQRP

[Pippa Gallop @pippagallop]

Want to help drive forward a sustainable energy transformation in the Western Balkans?

If so, read on 👇

https://t.co/fGKI3ODKqu

[Natasa Kovacevic @Natasa_Kovacev]

We are still waiting to see how the prefeasibility studies for biomass-based projects, such as the EBRD’s TE Tuzla 3 in BiH and KfW’s for six towns in Serbia, will justify burning biomass, much of which comes from forests affected by chronic illegal logging in both countries.

[Natasa Kovacevic @Natasa_Kovacev]

We've challenged the Commission's approval of Western Balkans Reform Agendas for ignoring transparency and green safeguards. 🚨

15 harmful projects—including 6 gas ones—violate the Do No Significant Harm principle. The @EU_Commission has 16 weeks to respond. 🌍

[Natasa Kovacevic @Natasa_Kovacev]

Sarajevo’s 36MW heat pumps project based on the waste heat, announced in 2022, could modernize district heating and replace gas, yet it’s barely discussed. Meanwhile, FBiH pushes costly gas pipelines, locking the town into fossil fuels. Why?

[CEE Bankwatch Network @ceebankwatch]

🗣️ The debate on the planned southern gas interconnector between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) has dramatically reignited this month.

But political disputes are dominating, with key questions unanswered:
Does the project make sense?
Why is BiH planning to increase its gas dependence when it could leapfrog straight to renewables?

ℹ️Read more: https://t.co/pBHyt4Uyeu

[CEE Bankwatch Network @ceebankwatch]

🌊In Romania, the outdated Răstolița hydropower plant project, planned over 30 years ago, is economically unviable and incompatible with modern environmental standards.

⚠️It also poses a severe threat to the biodiverse Răstolița river, located at the foothills of Călimani National Park. If it were to go ahead, the project would destroy this unique ecosystem, which is home to the endangered Danube salmon.

We urge the @EU_Commission to investigate Romania’s non-compliance with the Habitats and Water Framework Directives. We demand an immediate intervention to prevent irreversible damage to this protected ecosystem.

🙌Together for the Răstolița.

@EU_ENV
@EUClimateAction
@Energy4Europe

[Pippa Gallop @pippagallop]

So surreal, 🇷🇸 opening Europe's last new coal power plant #KostolacB3, a year before #CBAM charges start.

The plant's feasibility study showed that even low carbon prices would put it in the red.

Most govts have finally got the memo on new coal: now we have to sort out gas❗️

[Pippa Gallop @pippagallop]

Montenegro's energy minister says he's asked the @Ener_Community + @EU_Commission for a #CBAM exemption.

But 🇲🇪's coal power plant, Pljevlja, has been working illegally for four (❗️) years, without even any fines being issued.

Astonishing chutzpah...

https://t.co/HyafFd8Skt

[Pippa Gallop @pippagallop]

We've suspected this for a while but now it's clear. The #WesternBalkans are not ready for #CBAM.

Once taxes on EU electricity imports start on 01.01.2026, the region's coal phase-out will speed up.

If chaos is to be avoided, just transition planning has to accelerate as well.

[CEE Bankwatch Network @ceebankwatch]

❌Unfocused, unrealistic and unaffordable – three adjectives that sum up the misguided hydrogen strategies of Hungary, Poland and Romania. The lack of connection between policy objectives and reality reflects a political perception of hydrogen as a magic bullet, when in practice it’s almost completely missed the target.

📰Read more about their empty promises in our latest blog post: https://t.co/aNlGd6gHch

[CEE Bankwatch Network @ceebankwatch]

Six months since the @EBRD approved a EUR 98 million loan for the 🇬🇷 to 🇲🇰 gas pipeline, the project’s purported benefits remain unproven, delays are setting in, and a damning state auditors’ report suggests more setbacks are likely.

Read our briefing: https://t.co/KaF6PLOSij

[Ioana Ciuta @unaltuser]

Love heading for the weekend with some good news

[Jan Rosenow @janrosenow]

NEED SOME GOOD NEWS?

The EU now generates more electricity from wind and solar than from fossil fuels.

Graph from @NatBullard graphic using @ember_energy data.

[CEE Bankwatch Network @ceebankwatch]

Our latest report examines the public funding of hydrogen in Hungary, Poland and Romania.

We show that the hype has prevailed over evidence-based policymaking, resulting in national strategies that are unfocused, unrealistic and unaffordable.

Find out more - https://t.co/m7AswoxFye

[Pippa Gallop @pippagallop]

❗️TE u BiH 🇧🇦 su najveći relativni zagađivači u regiji

✅ S. Makedonija 🇲🇰 napušta ugalj do 2030.
❌ ali se planira oslanjati na gas i RHE Čebren

⁉️ Srbija 🇷🇸 smatra ulaganje u de-sox u Kostolac B1&2 uspješnim iako su se emisije SO2 jedva smanjile

https://t.co/RirOoeTLay

[CEE Bankwatch Network @ceebankwatch]

⚠️Rastolita #hydropower project in Romania is an outdated and poorly planned project that can harm nature. It threatens to destroy 10 rivers, endanger Danube salmon and affect several Natura 2000 sites.
As you can read in @Forbes ‘Given that the Rastolita project dates back to the 1980s – and that it will impact multiple rivers and multiple protected areas for just 35 MW of new capacity – it may be hard to find a proposed new hydropower project that better reflects outdated ways of designing energy projects.’
https://t.co/cKFLsVbpvP

[Pippa Gallop @pippagallop]

Good to see @Forbes covering the appalling #Rastolita hydropower project in 🇷🇴 today.

Going ahead would be a major threat to the already endangered Danube Salmon, multiple rivers and Natura 2000 areas -- all for just 35 MW❗️

We must stop this crime.

https://t.co/rGTf43clKz

[Pippa Gallop @pippagallop]

Западен Балкан на раскрсница: Наместо гасоводи, обновливи извори на енергија

https://t.co/FyrF853HQ7

[Pippa Gallop @pippagallop]

If the UK can do it, with 67 million inhabitants, then the #WesternBalkans with its 17 million certainly can.

Most importantly, phasing out coal is not being replaced by more gas and nuclear, but by renewables

(Source: Carbon Brief):

[Alexandru Mustață @AlexandruMust]

Since the UK became the world’s first country to announce a #Coal phase-out, 22 European nations have followed suit:

✅ Five are now #BeyondCoal
⏳ The rest of Europe has five years catch up

🇩🇪🇵🇱🇧🇬 we're especially looking at you.