Econergy is transforming Romania’s renewable energy market by integrating storage into all new investments. With the commissioning of the 87 MW solar park in Oradea and nearly 500 MW of co-located BESS under development across the country, the company has moved from traditional production to hybrid, grid-flexible projects. In this interview, Bogdan Asanache, Country Manager Romania, explains how early integration of storage, a national portfolio of 3.5 GW, and developments in the CfD mechanism and regulations are supporting the emergence of a new generation of bankable projects. He talks about the lessons learned from large photovoltaic projects, the growing challenges related to risks and insurance for BESS, and the practical aspects of building a smart and resilient infrastructure aligned with Romania’s flexibility targets for 2030.
With the recent commercial operation of your 87 MW solar park in Oradea and plans to add a 68 MW co-located battery system, how are you aligning your Romanian pipeline with evolving grid flexibility and storage needs?
We identified early that battery storage is a must-have for the renewable market and a true enabler of system value. As Romania’s energy mix evolves and grid volatility increases, our focus has been to embed energy storage from the design phase of every solar project, creating hybrid assets that deliver flexibility, stability, and long-term efficiency.
This integration strategy aligns with national incentives for co-location and reflects our belief that the future of renewables lies in hybridization at scale.
Our progress is already visible across Romania.
- Parau 1 and Parau 2 – construction is already underway on 220 MW of storage, forming one of the country’s most significant hybrid PV + BESS developments.
- Ratesti (155 MW) – Following the full acquisition of the full shares in this operating PV asset, we plan to add a 120 MW BESS, with construction set to begin by the end of 2025.
- Oradea (87 MW) – commercially operational and preparing to start construction of a 68 MW co-located BESS by the end of 2025.
- Scurtu Mare (56 MW) – set to add a 42 MW BESS, with construction also beginning by end-2025.
Together, these projects represent nearly 500 MW of integrated storage capacity, marking a significant step in Econergy’s expansion of hybrid renewable energy in Romania. Through innovation, strong financial partnerships, and disciplined execution, we are delivering the next generation of bankable, grid-flexible energy assets.
With a 3.5 GW national portfolio across solar, wind, and storage, Econergy is leveraging co-location and existing grid infrastructure to reduce costs, accelerate delivery, and support Romania’s 2030 renewable and flexibility goals.
You secured a 15-year contract for your Paraul 2 project at approximately 49.4 euros per MWh and are beginning construction in 2025 for connection in 2027. How do you see Romania’s auction mechanisms and CfD regime shaping your investment decisions and timeline risk management?
Romania’s Contract for Difference (CfD) scheme has become a cornerstone of renewable investment, offering the long-term price visibility needed for large-scale project financing. Our Parau 2 project (343 MW PV + 150 MW BESS), which secured a 15-year CfD at 49.4 euros per MWh, for 125MW (AC), the largest awarded quota, illustrates the market’s maturity and growing investor confidence.
Beyond individual projects, the recently issued Order No. 1280/2025 by the Ministry of Energy, approving the third CfD auction, highlights Romania’s commitment to building a transparent, stable, and EU-aligned support mechanism.
For Econergy, Romania’s regulatory progress signals a shift toward a predictable, rules-based market that rewards bankable projects with integrated storage. This alignment between policy, grid planning, and financing is crucial for sustaining the country’s renewable energy growth and positions Romania as one of the most forward-looking markets in Central and Eastern Europe.
Given your decision to acquire full ownership of the Ratesti plant and add a 120 MW BESS, what lessons from large-scale PV are you applying to hybrid PV + storage project modelling — and where do you anticipate key bottlenecks (permitting, financing, O&M) in the next 12-24 months?
Our experience operating the 155MW Ratesti solar park, one of Romania’s largest operational PV projects, has provided valuable insights into scaling and hybridizing assets. Following the acquisition of full ownership in 2025, Econergy plans to add a 120 MW BESS to Ratesti, a step that reflects both our confidence in the asset and the growing role of hybrid generation in optimizing returns. As a leading IPP, we have dedicated and robust Asset Management, Energy management, EPC and Battery storage teams working harmoniously to size and model the hybridization of the projects.
From a project finance perspective, Ratesti, Parau 1, Oradea, and now Scurtu Mare, serve as proof points of bankable renewable infrastructure. We are applying these learnings to model hybrid PV + BESS systems that balance technical integration, multiple revenue streams, and O&M optimization.
The key challenges we anticipate are permitting complexity for co-located assets and the limited local experience with utility-scale storage, both of which we are addressing through close coordination with the TSO.
How aware are local developers and EPCs of the specific technical and operational risks associated with BESS projects during the early design and construction stages?
Romania’s renewable market is advancing rapidly, but awareness of BESS-specific technical and operational risks remains uneven among local developers and EPCs. Econergy is addressing this by embedding European best practices in early-stage design, fire safety, and thermal management, while partnering with leading global technology providers to ensure lifecycle reliability and EU compliance, both critical for bankability and investor confidence.
This approach is also fully aligned with Econergy’s ESG policy, which prioritizes safety, environmental responsibility, and community engagement across every project phase. By integrating ESG standards into the design and operation of energy storage systems, we ensure that Romania’s energy transition is not only innovative and bankable but also sustainable and socially responsible.
How do project stakeholders currently address insurance as a prerequisite for bankability, and what are the main gaps in understanding between developers, financiers, and insurers?
As Romania’s storage market matures, insurance has become a central pillar of bankability. However, a learning curve remains in translating BESS operational risks into appropriate coverage models. Traditional policies were built around static generation assets, not electrochemical systems that interact dynamically with the grid. Econergy is also bringing it’s European best practice to the Romanian Market with learnings from the UK and Germany.
Econergy collaborates closely with insurers, OEMs, and lenders from the feasibility stage, ensuring that underwriting aligns with real project risk profiles. Our goal is to move from generalized risk premiums to data-driven, performance-based insurance frameworks that mirror the actual behaviour of storage assets.
What challenges have you seen when applying traditional insurance products to battery energy storage projects, and how could these be better aligned with real project risks?
Hybrid PV+BESS sites introduce interdependent risk layers, operational, thermal, and commercial. That must be managed holistically. Econergy mitigates these through: integrated system design connecting dispatch and energy management systems, on-site training and emergency protocols designed for dual-asset operation. As one of the few developers in Romania with both operational PV assets and BESS under construction, Econergy is setting new standards for hybrid project delivery and operational excellence.
How do co-located PV+BESS projects reshape insurance needs, and to what extent are Romanian companies ready to assess and model this new risk profile?
Co-located PV + BESS projects are reshaping how the energy industry approaches insurance and risk management. Unlike traditional solar plants, hybrid systems introduce new interdependent risks: technical, operational, and commercial, that require more specialized assessment and tailored coverage. Across Europe, insurers are gradually adapting to these technologies, moving from standard renewable insurance models toward data-driven, performance-based frameworks that better reflect how storage assets operate and interact with the grid. In Romania, this process is still in development, but the market is evolving rapidly. Regulatory clarity from the Ministry of Energy and ANRE, combined with growing collaboration between developers, lenders, and insurers, is creating a more mature environment for hybrid project bankability. At Econergy, we view this as a natural step in the country’s energy transition, one that promotes higher technical standards, stronger governance, and ultimately, more resilient and insurable renewable infrastructure.
What are the key on-site and integration risks developers should anticipate when deploying BESS alongside generation assets?
When integrating BESS with PV, developers must manage a new set of technical and operational interfaces. The key on-site risks include thermal management and fire safety, and ensuring robust grid synchronization during charging and discharging cycles.
Beyond the technical aspects, there are also coordination risks, including how the Energy Management System (EMS) balances dispatch between PV and BESS assets, and how maintenance teams operate safely within hybrid environments.
At Econergy, we mitigate these risks through integrated design standards, close coordination with OEMs, and comprehensive on-site safety protocols. As more hybrid projects are built in Romania, these practices are becoming the foundation for the safe and reliable deployment of BESS.
