Teodor-Cosmin Ionescu, Senior expert renewable energy, 3E
Renovatio, one of Romania’s leading renewable energy developers, partnered with 3E to optimise an 800 MW wind portfolio across eastern Romania. Through tailored measurement campaigns and expert validation, 3E helped reduce data uncertainty and enhance project bankability, paving the way for efficient development and future financing.
While Romania is rapidly emerging as a key player in Europe’s renewable energy landscape, wind power is taking centre stage. Yet despite the country’s natural potential, wind development remains a complex undertaking, challenged by complexity and availability of land, strict permitting regimes, and increasingly competitive grid access.
Against this backdrop, Renovatio, one of Romania’s largest and most experienced renewable energy developers, sought to optimise the measurement campaigns of a new wind portfolio of nearly 800 MW distributed across multiple regions in eastern Romania. The goal of collaboration with 3E: bring clarity, speed, and bankability to an already developed portfolio.
Fragmented data, diverse conditions
The portfolio comprised around 10 projects, covering both simple sites laid out on open, flat surfaces as well as land in more difficult hilly areas. Although the wind resource looked promising, problems in the development history of the complicated sites surfaced as they entered their final stages. Some measurement towers were already installed at the time of the 3E intervention, often in unsatisfactory locations due to terrain configuration and restrictions, while other towers required site optimization to be fully representative of the site.
These legacy issues injected significant uncertainty into early-stage wind data which would be central to securing project financing. With standard methodologies no longer fully applicable, the situation called for a customised, corrective approach to restore data integrity and development confidence.
The response: Local expertise, technical precision
A comprehensive site certification and inspection campaign has been launched, aimed at bringing each of the sites up to internationally recognized standards such as MEASNET and IEC 61400-50-1. Local 3E experts conducted on-site audits within deadlines imposed by tight project development schedules. Working with Renovatio’s partners was crucial to rectifying the deviations found, especially since it is the quality and consistency of the data from wind meters that profoundly influence the investment risk of a project.
In order to achieve full met mast certification, site teams were guided through reconstruction and optimisation to recover measurement reliability. In addition, local personnel received targeted training from 3E, enabling them to manage technical and operational challenges more effectively on-site.
Remote collaboration and validation of third-party documentation also played a key role, ensuring that work continued without delay, even under adverse field conditions.
The result: reliable data, lower uncertainty, de-risked projects
The entire measurement campaign now has a lower uncertainty impact. Many sites are now nearing the completion of their full one-year data collection cycles, with long-term energy yield estimates aligned to industry accuracy benchmarks. This not only de-risks the projects from an investor perspective but also enhances their long-term commercial viability.
Finally, by identifying overestimated long-term yield assessments early on, 3E enabled Renovatio to prioritise mitigation strategies and prevent more significant losses later in the development cycle.
What’s next: Strengthening the portfolio for financing and execution
Renovatio is continuing to refine its portfolio with full-scale energy yield assessments, loss analysis, and uncertainty evaluations. These studies are central to final investment decisions, turbine sitting optimisation, and securing competitive project financing.
About Renovatio
Established in 1998, Renovatio is a pioneer of Romania’s green energy transition. The company has built a diversified portfolio encompassing utility-scale wind and solar generation, energy efficiency services, and electric mobility infrastructure. Known for its long-term commitment to clean technology and innovative development, Renovatio remains a driving force in the region’s renewable energy transformation.
3E’s value
In fast-moving markets like Romania, early expert involvement is critical. Renovatio’s experience demonstrates the value of partnering with a trusted advisor who not only understands international best practices but can also adapt to local realities. For developers and investors looking to maximise returns and reduce risk in Eastern Europe, 3E offers a proven path forward.