Romania will publish a call for its first solar and wind power auctions within weeks, pending the green light from the government and the Modernisation Fund, Minister of Energy Sebastian Burduja estimated, https://balkangreenenergynews.com/ reports. He announced the ceiling prices in the bids for CfD market premiums would be EUR 91 per MWh and EUR 93 per MWh, respectively. Romania will be the first country to use the European Union’s Modernisation Fund to cover two-way contracts for difference (CfDs) with renewable electricity producers. The government received a green light last week from the European Commission for a EUR 3 billion state aid scheme for solar and wind power projects. Auction winners will be entitled to a guaranteed price for the electricity they sell for 15 years, Minister of Energy Sebastian Burduja noted. Under a CfD, the government pays the private operator the difference if the market price is lower than the price in its contract. When it’s the other way around, the utility returns the difference. It means predictability for encouraging strategic investments in Romania’s green transition, Burduja stressed. He vowed to make the competitive bidding process as competitive as possible. “Because a lower reference price will give a signal to the entire European market, and even beyond the European Union, that Romania is really attractive for investments in the energy sector, on the one hand, and on the other hand, it no longer exposes the state to a risk of paying more than would be the case in a comfortable time horizon for investors of 15 years,” Burduja stated. Hefty green energy subsidies crippled government finances a decade ago, so the renewables market collapsed and remained dormant for several years. The upcoming auctions are envisaged to be held for projects with an overall 1 GW in solar power and 1 GW in wind power capacity. Another 1.5 GW for each technology is planned for next year, bringing the combined quota to 5 GW. Burduja revealed that the ceiling, the maximum bidding prices, would be EUR 91 per MWh for photovoltaics and EUR 93 per MWh for wind farm projects. The levels were determined with consultants and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The minister said he expects final auction prices to be significantly lower. Last year Romania was a net electricity exporter, he underscored. It was the first time since 2018.
Ten entrepreneurs and executives have launched Food Angels Hub, a community of investors dedicated to the food sector. The aim of the hub is to “develop and scale functional and profitable companies in the food, hospitality and food-tech sectors” and “turn Romania into a reference point for food innovation in the CEE region.” The founders […]
Romanian developer IULIUS announced that it secured a syndicated loan facility amounting to over EUR 305 million for its Palas Iași mixed-use complex. The financing is provided by a consortium made up of Erste Group Bank Austria, BCR, Raiffeisen Bank Romania, and Raiffeisen Bank International Austria. The loan will support the remodelling of Palas Iași […]
Producer Ada Solomon has been elected chair of the board of the European Film Academy, marking the highest level of representation the Romanian film industry has achieved within the institution. Solomon was chosen by more than 5,400 Academy members across Europe, according to the official announcement. Dutch producer Leontine Petit and French producer Matthieu Darras […]
If December were a performance, Corinthia Grand Hotel du Boulevard would be its grand stage. This winter, Bucharest’s newest grand dame has reimagined the festive season not only as decoration, but as storytelling: one told through light, music, architecture and flavour. Inspired by Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, the hotel’s concept unfolds in three chapters […]
The HALO Events Center in Bucharest is set to open the largest event space in Europe equipped with a 360° panoramic LED display within the Romexpo complex. The new location is designed for large-scale, fully digitalized events, and it is the result of an EUR 4 million investment. The venue has a maximum indoor capacity of […]
The concept of the mega-project DraculaLand, a privately funded development exceeding EUR 1 billion that aims to become the largest entertainment, retail, and technology destination in Europe, was recently unveiled. The investment is planned for a 160-hectare site not far from Bucharest and aims to position Romania as a new global hub for large-scale entertainment, […]
