conference programme – 12 November 2025

Romania stands at a pivotal juncture in its energy transition. With the adoption of the “Energy Strategy of Romania 2025–2035, with a perspective to 2050,” the country aims to increase the share of renewable energy to 44% by 2035 and 73% by 2050. This involves further roll-out of onshore renewables and plans to develop up to 7GW of offshore wind capacity in the Black Sea by 2035.

This panel will delve into the mechanisms driving this transformation, including policy initiatives, investment strategies, and technological advancements.Discussions will also address the challenges hindering large-scale renewable deployment, both on- and off-shore and potential solutions to overcome them.

Key Discussion Points:

• Regulatory Landscape: Analysis of recent legislative changes and their impact on renewable energy projects.​
• Financing Models: Examination of funding mechanisms, including EU funds, private investments, and public-private partnerships.​
• Grid Modernization: Strategies for upgrading grid infrastructure to accommodate increased renewable energy input.​
• Community Engagement: Approaches to involve local communities in renewable energy projects, ensuring social acceptance and benefit sharing.​
• Future Outlook: Projections for Romania’s renewable energy sector and its role in regional energy security.​

As Romania accelerates its energy transition, integrating large volumes of variable renewables while maintaining grid reliability becomes a national priority. With aging infrastructure, rising electrification, and growing cyber threats, Romania must balance optimisation strategies with energy security imperatives.

This panel will explore how new grid technologies, data-driven solutions, and regulatory frameworks can help strengthen the Romanian grid, enhancing both performance and resilience.

Key Discussion Points:

• Grid Readiness for Renewable Integration

How Romania is adapting its transmission and distribution systems to accommodate variable solar and wind generation.
Challenges related to intermittency, curtailment, and forecasting.

• Smart Grid Technologies and Digitalisation

Deployment of smart meters, sensors, and AI-based grid monitoring.
Role of digital twins and predictive maintenance in optimising grid operations.

• Cybersecurity of Energy Infrastructure

Current threat landscape for Romania’s energy systems.
Regulatory and technical measures for cyber-resilience in a digitalised grid.

• Grid Flexibility and Demand-Side Response

Enabling flexible loads, EVs, and distributed energy resources to support grid stability.
Role of aggregators and dynamic pricing schemes.

• Cross-Border Interconnection and Market Coupling

Romania’s participation in the EU’s internal electricity market.
Impacts of regional balancing and congestion management initiatives.

• Regulatory Framework and Investment Strategy

Supportive legislation for grid upgrades and digital infrastructure.
EU funding instruments (e.g. CEF, Modernisation Fund) and private investment outlook.

Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are critical to Romania’s decarbonisation strategy, supporting renewable integration, grid flexibility, and peak demand management. However, while the technology is advancing rapidly, the commercialisation of battery projects in Romania remains complex – affected by unclear regulations, evolving market structures, and limited revenue certainty.

This panel will unpack what it takes to move from pilot to profitable: exploring how to create viable business models for battery storage, what financing options are available, how to navigate the regulatory environment, and what lessons can be drawn from neighbouring EU markets. The discussion will be rooted in real-world case studies and forward-looking policy updates.

Key Discussion Points:

• Revenue Stacking and Market Participation
  How BESS can monetize multiple services – frequency regulation, arbitrage, capacity, and grid support—and what’s currently permitted under Romanian market rules.

• Project Financing Models
  Structuring debt and equity for standalone and co-located storage projects; leveraging EU funds, green bonds, and public-private partnerships.

• Regulatory Landscape & Risk Mitigation
  Navigating evolving regulations – asset classification, grid codes, dispatchability – and identifying key risks and bankability hurdles.

• Business Models: Standalone vs. Hybrid
  Co-location with renewables, merchant operations, behind-the-meter solutions, and contracted vs. merchant revenue approaches.

• Lessons from Pilot Projects and Early Deployments
  Insights from developers and investors on structuring, permitting, financing, and operating battery systems in Romania and similar markets.

• Role of Institutions and International Finance
  How the EIB, EBRD, and other institutions can de-risk investment and support first-mover projects.

As Romania modernises its energy infrastructure to accommodate renewables, decentralisation, and market liberalisation, digitalisation is emerging as a strategic enabler. Smart grids, real-time monitoring, AI-driven analytics, and cloud-based SCADA systems are reshaping how the Romanian energy sector operates. However, with increased digital dependence comes rising vulnerability to cyber threats.

This panel explores how Romania can accelerate energy sector digitalisation while ensuring robust cybersecurity. The conversation will draw on current initiatives, cross-sector collaboration, EU regulations (like NIS2), and lessons from digital infrastructure deployments. Stakeholders will assess both opportunities and risks—and identify key actions needed to build a secure, data-driven energy future.

Key Discussion Points:

• Digital Transformation of the Energy Sector

Smart metering. AI in grid management. IoT for asset monitoring, and cloud-based systems.

• Cybersecurity Risk Landscape

Growing threat vectors in digital energy systems. Understanding vulnerabilities in OT/IT convergence.

• Compliance with EU Cybersecurity Regulations

How Romania is aligning with NIS2 and the Critical Entities Resilience Directive (CERD).

• Securing Grid and Market Infrastructure

Protecting SCADA systems, market trading platforms, and critical grid nodes.

• Data Governance and Interoperability

Managing energy data securely while enabling system-wide optimisation and consumer participation.

• Public-Private Coordination and Crisis Response

Roles of utilities, TSOs, DSOs, tech providers, and regulators in ensuring cyber-resilience and responding to incidents.

As Romania accelerates its renewable energy targets and regional energy leadership, the development of a high-capacity Green Energy Corridor has become a national and EU-level priority. This strategic transmission initiative is crucial to unlock gigawatts of renewable capacity, connect generation with demand and storage assets, and enhance cross-border energy exchange.

This panel brings together infrastructure operators, policymakers, investors, and regional stakeholders to explore how the Green Energy Corridor can drive systemic transformation—bridging energy abundance in Romania’s wind and solar hubs with the need for grid reliability, flexibility, and resilience.

Key Discussion Points:

• Status and Roadmap of Romania’s Green Energy Corridor Initiative.
• Grid Readiness for 2030 Renewables Targets.
• Cross-Border Interconnection and Regional Market Coupling.
• Integration with Energy Storage and Hydrogen Infrastructure.
• Financing and Regulatory Incentives for Grid Infrastructure.
• Overcoming Permitting, Land Use, and Public Engagement Barriers.
• Alignment with EU TEN-E, RePowerEU, and Modernisation Fund Objectives.

PLEASE NOTE:

All timings are approximate. The organisers reserve the right to amend the agenda to reflect market changes and updates and are not responsible for speakers no-show and last-minute replacements.