Romania’s energy regulator ANRE approved authorisations covering 593.5 MW of new capacity at its Sept. 22 meeting. The authorisation package included 132.65 MW of co-located storage and 394.57 MW of standalone batteries, bringing the storage component to about 527.2 MW. A further 66.25 MW of photovoltaic capacity was included in the same approvals.
In parallel, ANRE granted commercial-operation licences covering 239.2 MW. The licences comprised 185.4 MW of solar, 49.8 MW of wind and 4 MW of standalone storage.
Batteries added alongside solar and wind capacity authorisations
The battery approvals represent a significant portion of the capacity cleared in the regulatory round. Solar and wind additions continue to expand as part of Romania’s broader generation build-out. At the same time, the country is seeing extreme price volatility and periods of heavy import dependence.
This operating environment supports batteries designed to charge during low-price renewable hours and discharge when electricity becomes scarce. Romania has recorded electricity prices falling close to zero during solar-heavy periods before rising above €200-300/MWh later in the day.
Price spreads and system constraints shape storage relevance
The intraday spreads provide a revenue signal for storage that differs from annual average wholesale prices. The approvals also arrive while both Cernavodă nuclear reactors remain unavailable and hydro conditions are weak. Batteries cannot replace weeks of lost nuclear generation, but they can reduce exposure to the most expensive import hours.
Batteries can also provide balancing services as renewable penetration rises. The regulatory outcomes therefore reflect a shift in how new flexibility is being added to the system.
From renewable build-out to flexibility additions
Romania’s earlier renewable investment cycle focused on adding solar and wind megawatts. The next phase increasingly involves adding enough storage to make those megawatts usable when the system needs them most.
A single approval round clearing about 527 MW of batteries illustrates how quickly that transition is progressing.
