Romania rolls out strategy for solar, wind power

The Romanian Energy Ministry has launched a renewable energy tender call worth EUR 457.7mn for projects totalling 950MW capacity, which will be open to wind and solar with the added possibility of links to storage. 

Some EUR 372.7mn will go to projects over 1MW, and EUR 75mn to wind and solar plants with capacities of between 200kW and 1MW.

Romania plans to add 6.9GW to its new renewable energy capacity by 2030, more than 3.7GW of which will be solar. Overall this would mean renewables comprising over 30.7% of the country’s share of energy consumption by the end of the decade.

According to the Romanian Energy Regulatory Authority, Romania has a capacity of 3GW from wind farms and around 1.4GW from photovoltaic. 

Romania’s energy mix for electricity production includes 16.4% for wind and 7.6% for solar, according to the US International Trade Administration. 

Danish company emerging player for renewables in Romania

Meanwhile Danish renewables company European Energy announced that it is continuing its expansion of renewable energy projects in Romania and currently has 935 MW under development in the form of 10 projects. 

European Energy, which entered the Romanian market last September, is developing 9 projects that will eventually total 810MW at solar parks, while the other facility will be a 125MW wind farm. The company is also planning to use renewable energy for green hydrogen and e-methanol technologies.

According to the Danish company, the first of its 20MW photovoltaic projects is now ready to start construction in 2023, while it has also received grid connection approval for its 125MW project.

Under the terms of the tenders called, the Romanian authorities will grant a rebate of EUR 750,000 per MW installed to solar projects with a power of between 200kW and 1MW and of EUR 425,000 per megawatt installed to solar arrays over 1MW. 

For wind power, the respective rebates will be EUR 1.3mn and EUR 650,000. The projects chosen must begin commercial operations by June 2024.