Technical potential for offshore wind farms in the Romanian continental shelf of the Black Sea is over 76,000 MW, according to a study by Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS). Theoretically, offshore renewable energy could be a replacement for offshore gas projects, which currently blocked in the country due to unfavorable legislation, a CEPS study shows.
Of the 76,000 MW, 22,000 MW could be installed in wind turbines fixed to the seabed, and 54,000 MW in floating installations. According to the latest ANRE data, the total installed power in the Romanian energy system is 20,600 MW, but, in reality, the available power is much lower.
The study states that the relative lack of interest from EU states contrasts sharply with a recent World Bank map, which estimates the technical potential of the Black Sea region at 435 GW, of which 269 GW are fixed installations and 166 GW floating, although not all this potential is in EU member states. This is significant, even if it represents only a fraction of the potential of the North Sea.
Although there are no projects under development now, the region shows significant early wind potential. One of the first projects is the one announced by the Romanian electricity producers Hidroelectrica, which aims to invest in 600 MW of wind energy by 2026, of which 300 MW offshore.
