Romania’s energy grid faces an asymmetric supply crisis driven by a 22% drop in hydropower production due to low river flows and a lack of energy storage, according to energy policy expert Corina Murafa. While midday solar generation creates a surplus, evening consumption spikes create a deficit that forces costly power imports.
Hydropower Shortages and Regional Import Limits
Extremely low water levels on the Danube have halved power generation at the Iron Gates (Porțile de Fier) hydroelectric plants. On the Romanian side, the facility features an installed capacity of over 1,400 MW, roughly matching the output of both units at the Cernavodă nuclear power plant, according to official data. Across the border in Serbia, generation has dropped to 20% of capacity, as reported by Radio România.
Hidroelectrica holds a total installed capacity exceeding 6,400 MW, making it the country’s largest and cheapest energy producer. However, output is entirely dependent on water flow. Corina Murafa noted on her Facebook account that “the energy deficit is not caused by the lack of a reactor.” Instead, she stated that the primary problem is extremely low hydraulic conditions that limit Hidroelectrica to between 1,200 MW and 1,500 MW at any point in the day.
Did you know? Romania’s technical import capacity is capped at approximately 3,300 MW, and neighboring countries like Bulgaria, Serbia, and Hungary are experiencing similar energy constraints.
Asymmetric Crisis: Midday Surpluses and Evening Deficits
Grid data from Transelectrica shows that generation runs smoothly during daylight hours, but severe pressures emerge after sunset. For instance, Transelectrica figures recorded Romania exporting more than 1,800 MW at noon on a Tuesday with a consumption level of 5,000 MW. By contrast, evening demand frequently exceeds 7,000 MW, forcing the country to import over 2,000 MW, as seen on a Monday at 21:00.
“We have a lot of installed photovoltaic capacity that produces massively at noon,” Murafa explained. “The problem is that we don’t yet have enough batteries to move this energy into the evening hours.” Out of roughly 10,000 MW installed in solar, the country has just over 1,000 MW of storage capacity. Commercial storage currently covers up to 7% of consumption during certain intervals, though structural deficits remain.
Bureaucratic Bottlenecks on New Production Capacities
More than 500 MW of new photovoltaic and storage production capacities sit idle while awaiting commercial operation licenses from the National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE), according to data cited by Economica. These projects have already secured certificates of conformity from Transelectrica SA.
ANRE head George Niculescu stated that the agency has worked to reduce bureaucracy by allowing temporary commercial exploitation licenses to be requested based on provisional conformity certificates issued by network operators. However, energy expert Răzvan Nicolescu contested this approach during a public exchange, arguing that “provisional certificates mean more bureaucracy, not less,” and questioned why additional authorizations are required after passing network tests.
Premierul interimar Ilie Bolojan announced Tuesday that the government has agreed with ANRE to accelerate document issuance for advanced projects to ensure new capacities come online quickly.
Delayed Smart Metering and Dynamic Pricing
Experts point to systemic delays in smart metering infrastructure as a primary driver of sustained evening demand peaks. Otilia Nuțu criticized ANRE for failing to mandate that distribution operators accelerate smart meter deployment, which would have enabled time-of-use pricing and rewarded prosumers for discharging storage at fair prices.
Premierul interimar Ilie Bolojan acknowledged these delays at Victoria Palace, noting that an approved government program of 100 de milioane de euro aims to install 800,000 smart electricity meters. According to Bolojan, this project will establish a dynamic pricing system within a year to a year and a half, enabling automated load-shifting from peak evening hours to low-cost midday intervals.
Industrial Curtailment and Voluntary Reductions
To manage evening imbalances, the government relies on voluntary reductions from heavy industry alongside existing statutory frameworks. Under the Energy Law (Law no. 123/2012), Transelectrica can curtail industrial consumption during major system imbalances to protect essential infrastructure like hospitals and schools.
While mandatory curtailment has not been triggered, major industrial players have initiated voluntary reductions. “The hours of pressure are the evening hours, and in the discussions I had today with the main consumers, we agreed that each of them will take measures for the voluntary reduction of consumption in the evening hours,” Bolojan stated at the Government headquarters. He cited automotive manufacturers Dacia and Ford as examples of companies adjusting production schedules, noting they will halt operations until August 19.
Pro Tip: Industrial consumers and large businesses can optimize overhead by shifting high-draw manufacturing processes to midday hours when solar generation peaks and wholesale prices drop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Romania importing electricity during the evening?
Romania generates an abundance of solar power at midday, but lacks sufficient battery storage to shift that energy to the evening. When demand surpasses 7,000 MW after sunset, low river flows restrict hydropower output, forcing the country to rely on imports.
What is causing the delays in launching new solar projects?
Over 500 MW of completed solar and storage projects are stalled waiting for commercial operation licenses from ANRE, despite having already obtained technical conformity certificates from Transelectrica.
How will smart meters help stabilize the energy grid?
An upcoming rollout of 800,000 smart meters will enable dynamic pricing, allowing suppliers to charge higher rates during peak evening hours and lower rates at midday. This financial incentive encourages consumers and prosumers to shift their energy use away from peak times.
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