As Romania accelerates its renewable journey in 2025, the landscape of energy procurement is undergoing a bold transformation. Driven by the dual pillars of CfDs and PPAs, the country is cementing the foundation for market-driven clean energy deployment – at scale and with confidence. With clear regulatory backing, EU financial support, and burgeoning corporate demand, the mechanisms are harmonizing to deliver both volume and price visibility.
This year’s activity reflects more than just deal-making – it’s a structural evolution. In the CfD space, Romania has moved from a tentative pilot to an assertive second round with 3.5 GW on offer. On the PPA front, industrial giants, utilities, and corporates are signing up for both physical and virtual long-term arrangements, ranging from major utility deals to smaller rooftop installations. This progression signals a maturing market, ready to support and sustain Romania’s renewable ambitions.
EVENT ALERT: Future Energy Forum Romania, Bucharest, October 10th, 2025. Website: https://vorevents.com/romania/
2025 CfD Highlights: Auctions Shaping Galaxy-Scale Capacity
1. First CfD Round (Late 2024 / Early 2025 Outcomes)
- Capacity awarded: ~1,528 MW (1,096 MW wind; 432 MW solar) in December 2024
- Average strike prices: ~€65/MWh for wind; ~€51/MWh for solar – 20–30% below caps
- Notable projects:
- Radramo Power’s 245 MW wind project at €64.9/MWh, targeting operational date January 2028.
- Heliowin’s 125 MW solar park (Econergy–owned) at €49.4/MWh, also slated for commissioning by January 2028
2. Second CfD Auction (Launched May 2025)
- Capacity from tender: 3,472 MW (2,000 MW wind; 1,472 MW solar) up for grabs
- Maximum strike prices: €80/MWh (wind), €73/MWh (solar)
- Improved rules: Removed 25% bidding cap per developer; allowed multiple bids; marginal bid cap extended to 120%
- Total awarded (including both rounds): ~4.2 GW – surpassing the national target of 3.5 GW under the Recovery and Resilience Plan
Rafał Hajduk, Chief Commercial Officer at R.Power, expressed alignment with the evolving model: “We want to participate in the second CfD round in 2025… but we’re also tracking commercial PPAs. We want to do a combination of CfD and PPA. In the near future, we will be able to announce the first PPAs for Romania.”
2025 PPA Landscape: Deals, Dynamics & Market Shifts
Emerging Trends and Market Signals
- Missed CfD volume (~1,200 MW) now depends on the PPA market to stay viable, particularly solar developers priced at ~€55/MWh
- Bidding results (subsidy pricing) are shaping PPA expectations – developers struggle to secure higher PPA prices when CfD clearing prices set lower benchmarks
- Cross-border PPAs – especially wind – are still of interest but limited by Romania’s absence from the AIB, hampering Guarantee of Origin transfers
Notable PPA Announcements (2025)
- Though major PPA deals in Romania are less widely publicized than CfDs, market observers note rising interest especially from corporate buyers and utilities that are anchoring stranded solar capacity.
Michał Motylewski, Energy Transition Director at Clyde & Co, stated: “PPAs are essential tools…to make sure that you have a reliable source of funding for your project.”
Strategic Snapshot: Sector Ecosystem Evolution
Romania’s 2025 CfD rounds are not just mechanisms – they’re strategic game changers. Backed by €3 billion from the EU’s Modernisation Fund, the volume, pricing, and regulatory clarity achieved in the CfD process are setting clear benchmarks for future PPA negotiations.
Furthermore, the streamlined second auction design – from removing capacity caps to broadening eligibility – reflects an acceleration from experimentation to scale ambition.
Yet challenges persist. The PPA market, especially for solar, must contend with a surplus of unawarded projects, pricing pressures anchored to CfD outcomes, and regulatory gaps obstructing cross-border flexibility. Meanwhile, wind capacity – having secured most CfDs – will rely more on fewer PPAs and cross-border collaboration in 2026 and beyond.
Closing
Romania’s 2025 energy procurement story is one of ambition matched with execution. The country has successfully deployed a dual-track strategy – establishing CfDs as the primary scaling engine while nurturing a nascent PPA market to mobilise unsubsidised demand. The volume, clarity, and financial predictability delivered by the CfD rounds are direct catalysts for accelerating private sector participation and investor confidence.
Looking ahead to 2030, the roadmap is more defined than ever. With over 4 GW in CfDs awarded, momentum building behind PPA frameworks, and enabling reforms underway (e.g., AIB entry, storage subsidies, grid integration), Romania is positioning itself as a clean energy leader in Southeastern Europe. Now, it’s about converting ambition into megawatts on the ground – through continued policy refinement, market deepening, and cross-border collaboration.
Joffroy Beckers, Head of PPA at DRI, emphasized that: “Long‑term PPAs remain crucial to secure financing, even as strategies shift toward flexibility.”
By The Voice of Renewables – Your lens into the future of clean energy markets.
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