The government has given the green light to offshore wind farms

Yesterday, the government approved the draft law on offshore wind energy, which it sent to the Parliament for debate and adoption, a normative act that would encourage investments in renewable energies in the economic perimeters of the Black Sea, in the territorial area of Romania.

After the approval of the draft law, Sebastian Burduja, the Minister of Energy, declared: "Today (ed. - yesterday) we take another important step towards the fulfillment of a new important milestone in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan: the creation of a coherent and predictable legal framework for the production of offshore wind energy in Romania, an objective of my mandate at the Ministry of Energy. By producing offshore wind energy, we will increase the independence of the energy system and ensure greener energy in the homes of Romanians. At the pace set by the bill approved today by the Government and sent to the Parliament for adoption in emergency procedure, in 2032 we will be able to have the first megawatt (MW) of wind energy produced in the Black Sea in the National Energy System. At the same time, the production of offshore wind energy will allow us to strengthen the Romanian industry through the domestic production of green hydrogen and value-added products based on green ammonia. The draft law adopted today is to enter the Parliament's debate at the beginning of February, together with the new parliamentary session".

According to a study carried out by the World Bank, our country has an offshore wind potential of 76 Gigawatts (GW) of installed power, the Black Sea being a favorable environment for the development of this type of renewable energy. Through this project, Romania is making progress in achieving the desired transition and decarbonization of the energy system, as well as in consolidating its status as a regional leader in the energy field.

According to the project approved by the Government on Thursday, for the operationalization of investments in offshore wind energy, the Ministry of Energy will start, within 3 months from the entry into force of the law, a specialized study on the basis of which the concession procedure and exploration activities will be prepared , construction of offshore wind power plants and their operation. Among other things, the study will determine the maritime perimeters that the Ministry of Energy will concession, taking into account: their wind potential, the possibilities for the evacuation of offshore wind electricity, as well as the restrictions imposed by the Maritime Space Development Plan, including those in matter of protecting biodiversity and the environment. Based on the study, by June 30, 2025, the Government will approve the offshore wind perimeters and the subsequent law enforcement acts, after which the Ministry of Energy will initiate a competitive procedure for the award of concession contracts.