Romania’s solar power output up 63% y/y to 6.1% of total in H1

The power generated by Romania’s solar power installations, including the prosumers, rose by 63% y/y to 1.67TWh – or 6.1% of total electricity output in H1, according to data published by the statistics office INS.

The share of solar power in total production rose from 3.4% in the same period of 2023.

There are over 3.2 GW installed in photovoltaic parks in Romania, of which 1.63 GW in industrial parks and 1.61 GW in prosumer capacities, according to the Romanian Photovoltaic Industry Association quoted by Economedia.ro in July 2024. More will be added in the coming years.

Solar parks with a capacity of over 5 GW and prosumer installations with a capacity of 3.5GW will be developed as a result of both the introduction of contracts for the difference and the launch of calls related to the Resilience Facility and the Modernization Fund, according to RPIA.

The country’s target is 11.1 GW in photovoltaic capacities, of which 6.1 GW in parks and 5GW in rooftop installations, by 2030.

However, the share of the total output of “green” (hydro, wind, and solar) power in total decreased significantly in Romania, to 50.3% in H1 this year from 54.4% in the same period of 2023 in the context of 9.5% y/y lower total electricity output (27.25TWh in H1 this year).

The plunge in total and green power output in Romania was driven by the lower amounts delivered by the hydropower plants (mainly Hidroelectrica): -24.1% y/y to 31.7% of the total from 37.7% of the total. The plunge was mainly due to lower debit on the Danube this year.

In H1, Romania’s electricity output was close to its consumption after the country exported 9.4% of its production in the same period last year. Total consumption edged up a slim 0.8% y/y to 24.8TWh with similar growth rates in both residential and non-residential segments.

(Photo source: Temistocle Lucarelli/Dreamstime.com)