Romania offshore wind factsheet

This factsheet outlines the latest developments for offshore wind in Romania. For more detailed information, please check the most recent publications on the website.
Potential
Romania’s offshore wind potential is estimated to be between 77 and 94 GW, with 22 GW of bottom-fixed turbines and the rest, of floating turbines.75, 76 The wind speeds increase with the distance from shore, where a company is planning to develop a project. In the deep-water sector of Romania’s EEZ, the central area reveals commercially viable wind speeds, reaching approximately 7 m/s. Wind speeds decrease in the South Eastern part of the EEZ. In terms of seasonal distribution, the marine areas experience higher wind speeds during the winter months ranging from 8-9 m/s. In the summertime, the maximum wind speed recorded in the North-Eastern part of the EEZ is around 7 m/s.
The majority of the Romanian EEZ has a depth that exceeds 50 meters, making it highly suitable for wind projects based on floating platforms. Although technological advancements and cost reductions have made deep-water areas increasingly accessible for floating wind turbines, the cost of mooring significantly increases in water depths exceeding 150 meters.
Source: EPG, 2021: Romania’s offshore wind energy resources.
Regulatory framework
The Romanian Parliament passed the Offshore Wind Law (Law 121/2024) with overwhelming support in April 2024 and the President quickly signed it into law, underlining the country’s political commitment to offshore wind development. The initial proposal drafted by the Ministry of Energy in July 2023 aimed to install 3 GW by 2035, but this target was removed before the proposal reached parliament. Subsequent drafts and the final bill included several amendments to accelerate the deployment of offshore wind projects. Despite strong political support, stakeholder engagement was fairly limited to a public consultation on the Ministry’s draft in the summer of 2023, where stakeholders could submit comments and attend a meeting organised by the Ministry to discuss specific provisions. Given the importance of the law in laying the groundwork for offshore wind development, a broader consultation process on the Parliament’s version would have been beneficial for several reasons, including gaining the expertise and insights of industry experts and environmental groups, mitigating potential risks early in the process, ensuring social acceptance, and maximising economic and social benefits.
The newly passed offshore wind law in Romania determines that the exploration permit for offshore wind projects will be issued by the Ministry of Energy following the conclusion of a concession agreement, with detailed methodologies to be approved by June 2025. By the end of 2024, the Romanian Energy Regulatory Agency (ANRE) will be tasked with issuing the necessary regulations for the authorisation of offshore wind farms. During the construction phase, the Competent Authority for the Regulation of Offshore Petroleum Operations in the Black Sea (ACROPO) will supervise the project in accordance with its technical and economic documentation. Decommissioning in Romania will involve the commitment to certain obligations detailed in the Decommissioning Permit and Concession Contract, with disposal processes required to meet updated environmental standards. The developer must restore the site to its original state in accordance with the conditions set by the environmental authority, and ACROPO monitors the decommissioning activities based on its regulations.
Maritime spatial planning
The Romanian Ministry of Development published for consultation the draft MSP at the end of September 2022. The document has not been approved yet, as it did not pass the environmental evaluation, with the Ministry of Environment determining that a more thorough assessment is required. The document includes limited information regarding offshore wind development. It references the estimated offshore wind potential in Romania, as assessed by the World Bank (77 GW) and provides a brief overview of the advantages of offshore wind farms as well as the challenges associated with network connection.
Despite providing an overview of activities in the Black Sea, the MSP does not specify the specific areas suitable for offshore wind development. Furthermore, the document emphasizes that the zoning of offshore wind perimeters should be addressed within the legislative and regulatory framework for offshore renewable energy development. The strategic document says that nascent sector should anticipate and address potential conflicts by providing information about overlapping uses, although it does not specify the intensity, frequency, or magnitude of these interactions.
The MSP presents a spatial analysis that covers various aspects such as protected natural areas, coastal zone protection infrastructure, transportation infrastructure (cables, pipelines, maritime routes, ports), fishing areas, and mineral resource exploitation and exploration. The overlapping of these activities can potentially lead to conflicts between different types of uses and the conservation and protection objectives of biodiversity and marine habitats.
Environmental co-existence
The Romanian area of the Black Sea is confronted with several issues, in particular nature protection and recreation under the Habitats Directive. The Habitats Directive’s Annexes I and II93 list 58 habitat types, 79 animals, and 6 plants found in the Black Sea, including marine species like the Black Sea bottlenose dolphin. Additionally, there are 40 coastal Sites of Community Importance. The Black Sea is considered one of the water bodies most at risk of severe negative environmental impact in Europe, as it is a “closed” water basin with unique, dynamic, and sensitive ecosystems that are threatened by continental pressures and conflicting coastal and maritime activities.
The proposed Natura 2000 sites cover a total area of 17.84 percent of Romania’s territory. Near the Black Sea, the region of Dobrogea boasts high biodiversity and serves as an essential transit area for migratory birds nesting in Eastern Europe. This region is home to the Danube Delta, which has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991. The Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, defined by law, spans approximately 580,000 hectares, where around 9 percent consists of strictly protected areas where plant and animal species, as well as their habitats, remain unmodified or minimally influenced by human activity.
Grid and infrastructure development
The development of offshore wind sector in Romania faces a significant barrier due to the current state of the power grid. The majority of Romania’s renewable energy capacities, particularly wind energy, is located in the South Eastern region, where plans for additional renewables are underway. However, the available transmission capacity in the Dobrogea area, which already hosts 3,000 MW worth of projects, has not undergone substantial expansion until recently.
The TSO has imposed a restriction on installing any new renewable energy plants in the region until new grid capacities are completed. Two critical transmission power lines are nearing completion, and they are expected to increase the capacity in the Dobrogea area by almost 1,000 MW:
- The Cernavodă-Stâlpu 400 kV HVAC (double-circuit, 159 km) power line, which will enable the evacuation of an additional installed power of 452 MW from Dobrogea to western Romania.
- The Gutinaș-Smârdan 400 kV HVAC (double-circuit, 140 km) power line, which will facilitate the electricity evacuation of an extra installed power of 424 MW from Dobrogea to northwestern Romania. The construction of this power line is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2024.
- According to Transelectrica’s Ten Years Development Plan (TYNDP)97 for 2022-2031, the ongoing power grid development projects in Dobrogea will significantly enhance the integration of new wind capacities, adding a total of 2,008 MW. Most of these projects are expected to be commissioned between 2023 and 2026.
A collaborative approach is essential to achieve the necessary scale for cost-effectiveness in the Black Sea Basin. By working together, Bulgaria and Romania can develop more robust mitigation strategies to minimise the environmental impact of offshore wind projects, thus ensuring a more sustainable future for both countries. To facilitate the integration of offshore wind energy into their national grids, Bulgaria and Romania should consider developing joint grid development projects. This includes the design and construction of cross-border transmission lines and interconnections, which will increase the reliability and efficiency of electricity distribution. Joint grid projects can also help balance supply and demand across the region, making the energy system more resilient. The joint development of infrastructure such as ports, maintenance facilities and supply chains can significantly reduce costs and improve efficiency. Bulgaria and Romania can create joint hubs for the assembly, storage and maintenance of wind turbines and related equipment. To conclude, enhanced cross border collaboration and regional coordination can facilitate the overcoming of technical and regulatory obstacles, attract investment and guarantee that offshore wind projects are economically viable and environmentally sustainable.
There is significant potential for cross-border collaboration between Bulgaria and Romania in the pursuit of fully exploiting the offshore wind potential of the Black Sea. By aligning their regulations and standards with those of their Black Sea neighbours (e.g. Ukraine, Moldova, and Turkey) and participating in joint ventures and international projects, they can accelerate offshore wind development. Conducting joint Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) can streamline the permitting process and ensure comprehensive assessments, thus providing a robust framework for decision-making. It is essential that these analyses focus on critical issues such as bird migration patterns, marine ecosystems and fisheries.