State-controlled gas company Romgaz (BVB: SNG) announced on January 5 a firm commitment to commission the 430 MW gas-fired power plant at Iernut by the end of the year. The Jordan-based Mass Group announced a day later that it secured USD 500 million financing from UAE-based Emirates Islamic for the 1.7 GW gas-fired plant Mintia, scheduled for completion this year as well, according to Economica.net.

After Romania's power capacity increased by 2.8 GW following the completion of new solar, wind, and storage capacities, the country will increase its capacity to use natural gas ahead of the increased production planned by OMV Petrom and its partner Romgaz at the offshore perimeter Neptun Deep.

The Mintia power plant project is expected to start electricity production in the first quarter of 2026, with full operation expected by the end of 2026. 

The Iernut power plant project, which began almost a decade ago, is approximately 98% complete, according to Romgaz's CFO, Gabriela Trânbițaș. But it is being delayed by the contractor's termination of the contract.

Following the government's decision, on December 31, 2025, Addendum No. 12 to the financing contract for the "Gas Turbine Combined Cycle - Iernut" project was signed, Romgaz announced.

This document extended the duration of the contract until June 30, 2027, and modified the investment implementation schedule. However, Romgaz clearly stated that the date of completion and commissioning of the power plant cannot exceed December 31, 2026.

Even if the country decommissioned coal-fired generation capacities of 857 MW in 2024, it ended the year with a combined generation capacity of 19,178 MW (counting only the installations with individual capacity of over 5 MW) – 567 MW more compared to the end of 2024, according to Ziarul Financiar.

This data does not include the prosumers (with capacities of under 5 MW), whose combined generation capacity rose to 3,283 MW at the end of 2025, up from 1,053 MW one year earlier. Separately, energy storage projects have reached a capacity of 494 MW at the end of 2025, a major leap from the 137 MW at the beginning of the year.

(Photo: Adel Al- Haddad/ Inquam Photos)

iulian@romania-insider.com