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National Study on Capacity Gaps in Carbon Management: Emphasising Carbon Capture and Storage Deployment in Romania

The European Union has introduced a set of instruments that support the deployment of CCUS technologies. The EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) remains a central pillar, and its upcoming inclusion of carbon removals will have direct implications for CCUS deployment. For industrial operators in hard-to-abate sectors, this shift increases the importance of permanent CO₂ storage as a cost-effective compliance strategy. In this context, CCUS becomes a necessary solution for maintaining competitiveness under stricter emissions rules.  The Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA), in force since June 2024, reinforces these dynamics by setting a binding EU-wide target of 50 million tonnes of annual...

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Meeting Romania’s Biomethane Moment

The new biomethane ordinance is a step forward, despite a key drawback The new draft emergency ordinance on the support of biomethane production is a real step towards the development of a biomethane market in Romania. It introduces a legal definition for biomethane producers and sets out their rights and obligations in alignment with that of natural gas producers. They are required to meet strict quality and safety standards to inject into the gas grid, secure the needed licence and ensure responsible facility operation. These conditions make it possible for Romania’s first biomethane production facility to connect to the gas...

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Can Romania Revive Its Domestic Methanol Production? Key Challenges and Opportunities

Methanol (CH3OH) is a primary chemical found in many everyday products, such as plastics, paints, car parts, construction materials, as well as pharmaceuticals. It is the feedstock used by wood processing factories to produce formaldehyde, which is then used as a binding agent in resins. The large refineries also use methanol as a blending component, while other chemical manufacturers would require it to produce amines, that are subsequently used by the defence industry in ammunition production. Methanol can also serve as a clean energy carrier for powering road and maritime transportation, fuel cells, boilers and cook stoves. Methanol presents some...

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Accelerating the Energy Transition in Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania through Renewable Acceleration Areas

Given Europe’s mounting climate ambitions and in the wake of the energy security crisis caused by Russia’s war on Ukraine, the European Union has adopted a new wave of legislative instruments, most notably the REPowerEU Plan and the revised Renewable Energy Directive (RED III). These frameworks task Member States with facilitating a swift deployment of renewable energy through spatial planning and the creation of Renewable Energy Acceleration Areas (RAAs). This policy position provides a strategic analysis of progress, barriers, and recommendations for Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania. It explains the challenges and makes recommendations for faster development of renewable energy in...

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Guarantees of Origin: Market Tool or Missed Opportunity?

Guarantees of Origin can provide an additional revenue stream for RES producers Romania is in process of designing its Guarantee of Origin (GO) scheme with the intention of transparently communicating where consumer energy comes from. However, the scheme can target multiple aims at once, if designed carefully. European businesses are under pressure to deliver their products and services with a green mandate. Romania has leverage here; selling its renewable energy to companies can ensure their ESG targets are met and, in turn, shift financing for renewable energy development from the public sector onto the private sector. However, current GO schemes...

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The Hidden Risks of Romania’s Supercharged CfD Cost Reduction

The second CfD auction clears at record low solar prices, but fails to meet quota for wind The second Contracts for Difference (CfD) auction has cleared at record low solar prices, but has failed to meet quota for wind. For wind power, the total tendered capacity was 2 GW, with a maximum strike price of €80/MWh. The concluded contracts, though, cover 60% of the intended capacity, with the lowest strike price going down to €65.17/MWh (a 211 MW project in the Constanța county). The full intended capacity for solar was procured with 1.49 GW of capacity awarded contracts. The lowest...

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România în fața renunțării graduale la cărbune: O alegere dificilă, dar necesară

Discuțiile recente din spațiul public privind prelungirea funcționării centralelor pe cărbune sub motivul securității energetice reflectă capacitatea administrativă limitată a României de a gestiona înlocuirea acestor centrale cu alternative moderne, de a asigura reconversia profesională a angajaților și de a atrage fonduri europene destinate acestor investiții, precum și lipsa unui plan coerent de tranziție către surse sustenabile de energie. În anul 2025, securitatea energetică nu mai poate fi evaluată exclusiv prin prisma capacităților existente de generare sau a rezervelor de combustibili fosili. Securitatea energetică nu se rezumă la cât de multă energie putem produce în mod convențional, ci depinde și...

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Hydrogen: A Story of Strategic Autonomy

At a time when reducing import dependence is taking centre stage, green hydrogen and hydrogen-based fuels are a large piece of the puzzle, as they play a key role in decoupling hard-to-abate sectors from fossil fuel dependence. By 2050, hydrogen is expected to be implemented at scale in long-distance transport and heavy industries, accounting for 80% of the final energy consumption in shipping and aviation, and used to produce 44% of the iron needed for steelmaking. Hydrogen can contribute to the strategic autonomy of the European Union in several ways. First, it can do so directly by reducing reliance on...

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The Future of Industrial Carbon Management in the EU: Findings from the Horizon 2020 ConsenCUS Project

Industrial carbon management (ICM) has seen an increasing uptick in supportive policies, commercial-scale projects, and innovation action in the EU in recent years. Policy frameworks under the Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA), the Clean Industrial Deal, and the ICM Strategy are poised to further direct resources towards ICM projects as part of the EU’s technological portfolio for achieving climate neutrality by 2050. Despite these promising advances, important barriers remain in the deployment of ICM at pace and scale in Europe. With many of the challenges faced by ICM being increasingly acknowledged by policymakers, the ongoing Horizon 2020 ConsenCUS project can...

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