Romania is introducing payments for electricity consumers willing to reduce demand during tight market periods, as the country expands demand-side flexibility in response to drought-related generation shortages. The mechanism is designed to support system balancing when supply conditions tighten.
Transelectrica auctions for demand reduction
The new arrangement will enable consumers, electricity suppliers and aggregators to bid volumes of demand reduction through auctions organised by transmission system operator Transelectrica. Participants will state how much consumption they are prepared to cut and the compensation required for that reduction.
Drought disruption at Cernavodă nuclear plant
The demand-response measure follows severe drought and low Danube levels that disrupted production at the Cernavodă nuclear plant. The facility normally supplies about 20% of Romanian electricity.
Coal units restarted and closure plans reviewed
Romania has responded by returning coal-fired capacity at Rovinari and Paroșeni to operation. It is also seeking to postpone the planned closure of another unit at Turceni.
Potential curbs on industrial supply and exports
Transelectrica has received powers that could allow it to restrict electricity supply to large industrial users or curb exports if system security deteriorates significantly. Alongside these steps, authorities are examining infrastructure that could divert additional water toward the Cernavodă cooling-water intake.
Shift toward batteries, interconnections and controllable demand
The measures reflect a broader change in Romania’s electricity strategy. Rather than relying only on additional generation, the system increasingly combines batteries, interconnection capacity and controllable demand to manage periods of scarcity.
This approach may become more relevant as Romania adds large amounts of solar and wind capacity while hydro and nuclear generation face climate-related pressure.
