Senior representatives from Hungary, Serbia, and Slovenia convened to officiate the signing of a collaborative agreement under the BlueSky project. This initiative entails the integration of three national electricity exchanges within the Adex Group framework. Ownership of this newly formed entity will be jointly held by the transmission system operators—MAVIR, EMS, and ELES—from each respective country, along with EPEX Spot.
The Slovenian Minister of the Environment, Climate and Energy, Bojan Kumer, alongside the Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Péter Szijjártó, and the State Secretary in the Ministry of Mining and Energy of Serbia, Veljko Kovačević, participated in the formal signing of an energy partnership agreement under the auspices of the BlueSky project.
This ceremonious event took place in Budapest, the designated headquarters for Adex Group, the entity responsible for managing the newly established joint electricity exchange. This organization will hold exclusive ownership over Slovenia’s BSP SouthPool, Hungary’s HUPX, and Serbia’s SEEPEX.
Ownership of these exchanges is vested in the electricity transmission system operators from the respective countries: Slovenia’s ELES, Hungary’s MAVIR, and Serbia’s Elektromreža Srbije (EMS). The exchange operator EPEX Spot constitutes the fourth collaborator within the Adex Group. The entities have expressed openness to expanding their shareholder base.
Despite this integration, BSP SouthPool, HUPX, and SEEPEX will continue to manage their existing market operations.
The Alpine-Adriatic Danube Power Exchange (ADEX) emerged as the inaugural entity designed to facilitate electricity trading across Central and South-Eastern Europe (CSEE). Established towards the end of 2022 by ELES, EMS, and EPEX Spot, ADEX represents a significant step in regional energy integration.
According to the Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy, Dubravka Đedović Handanović, the consolidation of these exchanges into a unified trading platform will not only simplify and enhance the efficiency of electricity trading but will also spur the development of a regional electricity market. This integration is poised to foster a stable and reliable market environment, thereby attracting new investments and promoting the incorporation of renewable energy sources within the region.
Minister Đedović Handanović also highlighted that the initiative for this project was first proposed in 2018. The merger is anticipated to advance Serbia’s alignment with the single European market and streamline trading processes for market participants. Jelena Matejić, General Manager of EMS, noted that this integration supports the ongoing collaboration between EMS and MAVIR, particularly in aligning the day-ahead market with the single European electricity market. This alignment is crucial as it is a prerequisite for exempting Serbian-produced electricity from the CO2 import tariffs mandated by the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism until 2030.
Furthermore, the Slovenian Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy reported that while part of the exchange operations will continue in Ljubljana, the BlueSky project will also significantly contribute to the advancement of e-mobility and the broader integration of renewable energy sources across the region.
