Romania will have 350,000 prosumers by 2030, energy minister says

The number of prosumers in Romania is expected to reach 236,000 by the end of 2025 and surpass 350,000 by 2030, said minister of energy Sebastian Burduja during the Climate Change Summit 2023.

The minister also noted that there will be an emphasis on the idea of energy storage for short, medium, and long-term in future funding calls through the Modernization Fund and the "Casa Verde" Program. This means that prosumers who include an energy storage component will be rewarded. Such a call will be launched no later than the beginning of 2024, the minister explained.

There cannot be an energy transition without investments in the energy transportation and distribution system, Burduja also argued, Digi24 reported.

At the current pace, it's projected that there will be around 236,000 prosumers by the end of 2025, and 350,000 or more by 2030. However, the increased number of prosumers has posed several problems. In parts of Romania, the electricity distribution network is impacted negatively by voltage differences.

Unlike Hungary, which operates a distribution network that can no longer accommodate prosumers, Romania aims to improve its networks and avoid such problems. As a result, the Energy Ministry is looking to speed up investments in electricity transportation and distribution, financed through the Modernization Fund and a dedicated operational program.

Nine projects by state electricity distributor Transelectrica, totaling over RON 1 billion (EUR 201 million), have already been approved and signed. Several other contracts have also been signed.

For similar reasons, future financing programs will focus on energy storage for the short, medium, and long term. As these investments are made over the next few years, the capacity of the system to accommodate more prosumers will increase.

The increase in the number of prosumers and investments in the electricity transportation and distribution system must go hand in hand, Burduja stressed, before mentioning the importance of hydroelectric storage through pumped storage power plants.

(Photo source: Inquam Photos | George Calin)