date: 20 November 2025
event
austria
BESS in CEE: powering the next energy chapter
20 November 2025 | 4:00 – 8:00 pm
Schoenherr Attorneys at Law | Schottenring 19, 1010 Vienna
Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are transforming the energy landscape in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Playing a crucial role in the region's strategy for energy reliability, decarbonisation and market modernisation, the BESS sector is currently shaped by evolving regulation, commercial opportunities, and financing models that can unlock investment and deployment.
Join us at this event, where leading experts from Schoenherr's international energy regulatory and banking & finance teams across CEE – together with guest speakers from industry and finance – will explore these and other topics.
For details on the agenda please see below, additional speakers to be announced.
Who should attend?
The event will be particularly relevant to energy companies, investors, project developers, technology innovators, policymakers, as well as financial institutions active in BESS project finance.
Notes:
Event language: English.
Participation by invitation only. If you would like to receive an invitation, please contact our events team by e-mail at events@schoenherr.eu. Seats are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, with priority access given to Schoenherr existing and prospective clients.
4:00 – 4:30 pm | registration & welcome coffee
4:30 – 4:35 pm | welcome/ keynote speech
Bernd Rajal | Partner | Schoenherr (Austria)
4:35 – 4:50 pm | intro session
Setting the stage for CEE’s BESS revolution: Policy, market design, and regulation
Gain an overview of the fast-evolving BESS landscape: what is driving growth, what is holding it back, and where does CEE fit in the global picture. Our experts will discuss how new frameworks and national updates are shaping storage markets across the region, covering national updates, policy barriers and incentives for BESS, and mapping CEE's regulatory readiness.
Hosted by: Bernd Rajal | Partner | Schoenherr (Austria)
4:50 – 5:20 pm | panel discussion 1
Key challenges in BESS development. Getting projects "Ready-to-Build"
In this panel, you will learn from leading developers active in CEE and beyond what it takes to move a BESS project from concept to construction-ready stage. Together with their industry guest speakers, our legal experts will discuss ways for developers to overcome practical hurdles, including permitting or grid connection challenges.
Speakers:
Sebastian Enache | Head of M&A | Monsson (Romania)
Constantin Vana | Executive Partner and Co-Founder | BlackVolt Energy
Dimitar Kairakov | Attorney at Law | Schoenherr (Bulgaria)
Hosted by: Monica Cojocaru | Partner | Schoenherr (Romania)
5:20 – 5:50 pm | panel discussion 2
Commercial aspects & BESS business models. Unlocking value through smart market strategies
In this panel, experts from across Europe will share insights on structuring profitable BESS ventures, with lessons from more mature markets like the UK. Our legal and industry speakers will discuss generic strategies, as well as specific topics such as tolling agreements, routes to market, trading, and revenue stacking.
Speakers:
Raphaela Hein | Power Market Expert | Enery (Austria)
Vakhtang Kvekvetsia | Managing Director | NERA (UK)
Grzegorz Filipowicz | Partner | Schoenherr (Poland)
Hosted by: Gergely Horváth | Attorney at Law | Schoenherr (Hungary)
5:50 – 6:20 pm | panel discussion 3
Making BESS projects bankable. Turning technical potential into financial viability
Learn from lenders what they look for when financing BESS projects. Together with guest speakers from financial institutions, our energy regulatory and financing lawyers will discuss about how a bankable BESS project looks like, including practical examples on risk allocation and project finance structures.
Hosted by: Laurenz Schwitzer | Partner | Schoenherr (Austria)
6:20 – 8:00 pm | wine, finger food & networking
co-speakers
