Romania is betting on battery storage. Several massive projects are in the pipeline

Romania is becoming a highly attractive location for the emerging battery storage technology, and the number of investments is proof of that. Most recently, Romania has been preparing a 300MW battery storage project in the Arad region. The project is expected to contribute to grid stability and support the energy transition.

The rise of solar power in Romania and other European countries is accelerating rapidly, and the solar energy market can be considered saturated in some regions. A disadvantage, however, is that the economic potential of photovoltaic plants is falling significantly as cannibalization intensifies.

Investors are therefore seeking opportunities in the large intraday electricity price spreads on the Romanian market. Battery storage offers a solution, giving operators the option to store energy generated during the daytime production peak for periods of high electricity demand. Bridging the time gap between peak solar generation and electricity consumption will help limit negative electricity prices and support grid stability. Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are thus becoming an important pillar of modern power systems in the Czech Republic, too.

One clear example is the project by VLA Energy in the Arad region of western Romania. It is a 300MW standalone battery storage facility with enough capacity to operate for four hours at maximum output, equivalent to 1200 MWh. The company announced progress on officially securing the land for the installation of its storage facility. The site is located in the immediate vicinity of a major transmission grid hub.

The company is also planning to build a 730 MW solar park. It is also expected to be equipped with a BESS system with the same power and capacity specifications as the aforementioned project in the Arad region.

Romanian BESS projects and their financing

Another significant step is the construction of the Ogrezeni hybrid power plant, which has 761 MW of photovoltaic capacity as well as a battery storage facility with an output of 534 MW and capacity of more than 1 GWh. Enery Development is financing the project through €460 million in bank financing. The consortium brings together major international players such as UniCredit Bank and ING, as well as Intesa Sanpaolo, which is providing a loan of €85 million. The bank is acting as Mandated Lead Arranger and Bookrunner.

The two projects mentioned above can be joined by the Teius solar park, which has a BESS system with a nominal capacity of more than 120 MWh. Eurowind Energy Romania announced that the investment is worth €21 million and is supported by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.

Commission approves €150 million Romanian state aid scheme for electricity storage

The financial support comes from the Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework (CISAF), adopted by the Commission on 25 June 2025. Romania plans to support the installation of BESS systems with a capacity of at least 2174 MWh, which will contribute to the goals of the Clean Industrial Deal.

"This is Romania's first scheme under CISAF. It will help bring new electricity storage capacity online, a key factor in the large-scale integration of renewable energy into the energy mix. The measure will contribute to cleaner, more secure and more resilient electricity supplies, in line with the EU's climate goals and the Clean Industrial Deal," said Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice-President for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition.