Hidroelectrica spearheading next wave of BESS investments in Romania

Electricity producers in Romania are advancing projects for several gigawatts of battery storage – for integration with existing power plants or built as part of hybrid power plants, or as standalone facilities. State-owned hydropower giant Hidroelectrica is about to commission a BESS asset co-located with its only wind park. At the same time, it is completing a tender for 200 MW at its Iron Gate 2 hydropower plant, and developing projects for hundreds of megawatts of total battery capability for a string of its hydroelectric units.

Romania is catching up with neighboring Bulgaria in the list of the most developed markets for battery energy storage systems in Europe. The solar boom is getting a rapid extension into the battery segment due to high spreads between the highest and lowest prices within a day, including negative power prices. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) recently said that the country hosted 6.24 GW of photovoltaic capacity at the end of last year. The level was not much below nominal hydropower.

Subsidies, domestic manufacturing and the affordability of the equipment are incentivizing the surge in BESS projects as well. Notably, prosumers are one of the pillars of energy storage in Romania.

Electricity producers are preparing to install several gigawatts of BESS – for integration with their existing electricity plants or built as part of hybrid power plants, or as standalone facilities.

Hidrolectrica pushing ahead with projects totaling 3.1 GWh

Within a few months, Hidroelectrica is set to commission a 72 MWh battery system (36 MW for two hours). It would be integrated with the state-owned company’s only wind park, Crucea Nord.

Separately, it conducted a tender for a contractor for a BESS of 64 MW in operating power and 256 MWh in capacity. The system would be at the utility’s Iron Gate 2 – Porțile de Fier 2 hydropower plant on the Danube and provide grid balancing services.

Hidroelectrica has earmarked EUR 60.7 million excluding VAT for the battery storage project at Iron Gate 2

After several delays, nine bids came in and Hidroelectrica is planning to sign a contract before the end of the month, Profit.ro learned. It is worth an estimated RON 310 million (EUR 60.7 million) excluding value-added tax. Iron Gate 2 has 252 MW in nominal capacity.

At the same time, the company is working on the design of battery facilities totaling 200 MW and 800 MWh for the lower sector of the Olt river. The hydropower cascade comprises run-of-river plants Ipotești, Drăgănești, Frunzaru, Rusănești and Izbiceni. Hidroelectrica is planning to install 2 GWh overall at Subcetate, Bretea, Retezat and Ruieni, a group of hydropower plants in western Romania.

Güriş builds BESS of nearly 100 MW in western Romania

Güriş, headquartered in Turkey, has just completed a 98.6 MW battery energy storage system at the village of Iaz in Obreja commune in western Romania. The facility has 196.4 MWh in capacity.

The company received a EUR 10.7 million grant from the Ministry of Energy a year and a half ago for the project in Caraș-Severin county. Simtel Team was the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for Energy Capital Group. The project firm is owned by Mogan Bucharest, part of Güriş Group. The job was worth RON 168.9 million (EUR 33.1 million) excluding VAT.

Expansion underway of Părău PV park with battery storage

Earlier this month, the Romanian Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE) issued a so-called establishment authorization to Heliolux. Controlled by Israel-based Econergy, it is a special purpose vehicle for a BESS in the commune of Şercaia in Brașov county in Transylvania.

The battery would accompany the Părău photovoltaic park of 92 MW in peak capacity. The permit is reportedly for a nominal 76.8 MW, of which 65.7 MW is usable capability.

Austrian renewable energy company Kraftfeld Energy, which has 1 GW in its overall pipeline in Romania, brought an investor on board for a hybrid power plant Profit.ro reported. Alfi Green Fund from Slovenia acquired 65% of project firm PVP Cygnus.

It is in charge of a project for a 126 MW solar power plant with a BESS of 200 MWh. The site is at the border with Serbia and Bulgaria, in the Gârla Mare commune in Mehedinți county.