Should Poland take a cue from Romania?

Until recently, Romania was primarily seen as a producer of energy from coal and hydropower. This trend is gradually changing. Currently, many other European countries could envy Romania’s advanced energy storage policies. The latest initiative by Electrica SA involves the construction of 15 energy storage systems with a combined capacity of approximately 1 GWh.

1 GWh of storage under the Electrica 2030 strategy

Electrica is one of Romania’s largest energy distributors and suppliers. Last week, the company began the permit process for 15 battery parks located across various regions of the country. These projects are part of the “Electrica 2030” strategy, which aims to transform the group into a leader of the energy transition in Central and Eastern Europe.

According to Alexandru Chirița, CEO of Electrica SA, developing energy storage infrastructure is not only a technological investment but also geostrategic:

“Building systems with a combined capacity of 1 GWh is a key pillar of our strategy. By diversifying projects across 15 locations, we ensure operational resilience and the ability to respond flexibly to fluctuations in energy production and consumption in the national system.”

The distributed layout of the BESS will reduce operational risk while enabling coordinated real-time management of the storage fleet. Each project will be connected to a unified SCADA control system, optimizing charging and discharging processes. This approach aims to balance grid balancing services, energy arbitrage, and reserve capacity maintenance during evening peaks.

The new role of energy storage: stability, flexibility, and security

Increasing the capacity of renewable energy sources in Romania (mainly solar and wind) is leading to daytime surpluses and evening deficits. Large-capacity battery systems will therefore become the “connective tissue” of the transforming grid.

Technically, Electrica’s projects will use modular lithium-ion systems equipped with grid-forming inverters, capable of providing synthetic inertia, fast frequency response, and voltage regulation. Such solutions not only enhance energy security but also reduce the need for transmission network upgrades, easing the load on local substations and lowering infrastructure costs.

Complementary initiatives: dynamic BESS sector growth in Romania

Electrica is not the only company investing in energy storage. Hidroelectrica, the country’s largest energy producer, plans to install storage at all its run-of-river hydropower plants, storing energy during the day and releasing it in the evening.

The company has already invested €16 million in a 36 MW / 72 MWh battery at the Crucea Nord wind farm and plans another 64 MW / 256 MWh system at the Porțile de Fier II hydropower plant on the Danube.

Strong state support: EU funds and regulatory reforms

Romania’s energy transition would not be possible without substantial financial and legislative support:

• €80 million from the national recovery plan (PNRR) is allocated for storage projects, targeting 1.8 GW of new installations.
• €30 million in non-repayable grants was awarded in November 2024 to five projects totaling 791 MWh (around 20% of national energy storage demand).
• An additional €300 million (split €150 million in 2025–2026) comes from the Modernization Fund.

A key factor is the regulatory reform of July 2025, which eliminated double taxation of stored energy. Previously, energy fed into the grid after storage was subject to multiple tariffs — transmission, distribution, and green certificates. The new regulations remove this issue, significantly improving the investment attractiveness of BESS projects.