Romania is set to build 2,751 MW of new renewable energy production capacity in the coming years through the Contracts for Difference (CfD) mechanism, financed with European funds secured last year, announced Sebastian Burduja, the former Energy Minister.

The new investments – equivalent in installed power to four nuclear reactors at Cernavodă – will come from solar and wind farms.

According to the Energy Ministry’s report, €3 billion in non-reimbursable EU funds have been allocated exclusively to the CfD scheme, designed to support renewable energy capacity development. The first auction, held last year, awarded contracts for 1,528 MW of wind and solar projects, with awarded prices 35–40% below the maximum strike price.

The second round, launched on May 12 and finalized now, exceeded expectations: 1,488 MW in solar farms and 1,263 MW in wind farms were awarded, with bid prices about 20% lower than those seen in the first round. The lowest bid price was 50% below the maximum allowed.

In total, the two CfD rounds will generate 4,279 MW of new capacity, making a significant contribution to the goal of cheap and clean energy. In parallel, 2024 saw more new production capacity come online than in the previous eight years combined, while energy storage capacity grew 25-fold – from 16 MWh to 404.9 MWh.