Wind power in Romania

Tihuţa Pass wind turbine

Wind power in Romania has total cumulative installed capacity of 3,028 MW as of the end of 2016,[1] up from the 14 MW installed capacity in 2009.[2]

Romania has the highest wind potential in continental Europe of 14,000 MW; in 2009 investors already had connection requests of 12,000 MW and the national electricity transport company Transelectrica offered permits for 2,200 MW.[3] A study of Erste Bank places Romania and especially the Dobrogea Region with Constanța and Tulcea counties as the second best place in Europe (after Scotland) to construct wind farms due to its large wind potential.[4] Another study made by the Romanian Energy Institute (REI) said that wind farms could contribute with 13 GW to the national power generation capacity by 2020, and between 2009 and 2017 total wind farm capacity will comprise 4,000 MW with investments of US$5.6 billion.[4]

Potential offshore wind farms[5][6][7][8] may increase supply. Romania passed a law in November 2020 to support offshore wind power.[9][10] Black Sea 1 farm is planned with a capacity of 500 MW and Black Sea 2 farm is planned for 1,400 MW to be built 2027-28[11]

By 2021 wind power had risen to 17% of total installed power generation capacity and 13% of total power generation.[12]

A 2022 law prohibits wind farms covering an area larger than 50 hectares, limiting farms to 45MW, unless the development is designated "of national interest". This limits private investment.[13]

In 2022 there were three wind farm projects proposed, by Rezolv Energy, 450MW, OX2 plans a 99.2MW and ACK Pașcani is looking to install up to 60 MW.[14]

Wind power in Romania[15]
Year Total (MWp) Production (GWh) % of electricity consumption
2008 3
2009 14
2010 462
2011 982[16] 1,073 1.8%
2012 1,905[17] 2,684 4.6%
2013 2,599[18] 4,800 8.6%
2014 2,954[19] 5,618 10.0%
2015 2,976[1] 6,703 11.6%
2016 3,028 6,385 10.9%
2017 3,029 7,301 12.2%
2018 3,029 6,226 10.2%
2019 3,032 6,322 10.2%
  1. ^ a b "Wind in power - 2015 European statistics" (PDF). Retrieved 2023-10-07.
  2. ^ "Romania Ranks 7th In EU By Installed Wind Farm Capacity In 2010". Mediafax. 2011-02-02. Retrieved 2011-02-02.
  3. ^ "Potential de investitii in eolian de peste 4 mld. euro" (in Romanian). Business Standard. 2009-02-05. Retrieved 2009-02-05.
  4. ^ a b "Dobrogea, pe locul doi în Europa ca potenţial eolian" (in Romanian). Evenimentul Zilei. 2009-02-05. Retrieved 2009-02-05.
  5. ^ Onea, Florian (13 May 2019). "A Study on the Wind Energy Potential in the Romanian Black Sea". Journal of Marine Science and Engineering. 7 (5): 142. doi:10.3390/jmse7050142.
  6. ^ Onea, Florian; Eugen Rusu (January 2012). "Evaluation of the Wind Energy Resources in the Black Sea Area". Universitatea Dunarea de Jos Galati.
  7. ^ Niculescu, Dragos; Rusu, Eugen (2016). "Study of the Wind Regime in the North Western Part of the Black Sea" (PDF). pp. 1–10. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  8. ^ Raileanu, A.; Onea, F.; Rusu, E. (2016). "Evaluation of the Offshore Wind Energy Potential in the Romanian Coastal Environment of the Black Sea" (PDF). Cercetări Marine. No. 46. pp. 5–18. S2CID 54600167.
  9. ^ "Romania's Senate passes bill for subsidizing offshore wind farms". Romania Insider. 3 November 2020.
  10. ^ "Romania to enact first offshore wind law". www.cms-lawnow.com.
  11. ^ "Burduja: First wind farms in Romania's Black Sea in 2027-2028". 15 August 2023.
  12. ^ "Wind power capacity in Romania and major projects". 20 June 2023.
  13. ^ "RWEA, RPIA SI PATRES CRITICIZE THE EMERGENCY ORDINANCE ON SOME MEASURES RELATING TO THE EXERCISE OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS OF THE STATE, WHICH DISTORTS COMPETITION IN THE ENERGY MARKET". 1 November 2023.
  14. ^ "Wind farm developers advance projects of 609 MW in total in eastern Romania". 7 September 2022.
  15. ^ "Primele 70 de turbine eoliene de la Fantanele sunt ridicate CEZ e aproape gata sa "aprinda becul" in 120.000 de case" (in Romanian). Ziarul Financiar. 2010-04-20.
  16. ^ "Wind in power - 2011 European statistics" (PDF). Retrieved 2023-10-07.
  17. ^ EWEA: "Wind in power: 2012 European statistics", February 2013
  18. ^ EWEA (February 2014). "Wind in power: 2013 European statistics" (PDF). European Wind Energy Association. Retrieved 2014-11-05.
  19. ^ EWEA (February 2015). "Global Wind Statistics" (PDF). European Wind Energy Association. Retrieved 2015-04-08.