This year, Law No. 121/2024 on Offshore Wind Energy (the “Law”) entered into force, establishing a general legal framework for implementing offshore wind energy projects, particularly in the Black Sea area. This creates new opportunities for investors and developers interested in leveraging Romania’s offshore wind potential.
In this regard, the Ministry of Energy will provide state aid in the form of a support scheme for the construction and operation of offshore wind power plants, facilitating the concession of offshore areas designated for these projects. Concessionaires will be required to meet various standards, including environmental and biodiversity impact studies and measures to protect the marine ecosystem. Additionally, permits for constructing and operating offshore wind power plants will be issued by the Competent Authority for Offshore Oil Operations in the Black Sea (ACROPO) and the National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE).
Construction within the concessioned offshore areas may commence only after obtaining development approval from ACROPO, while exploration, construction, and operation of the plants are allowed exclusively based on a concession contract with the Ministry of Energy. The Law includes financial support measures for projects that will be operational within eight years of concession approval, with developers being required to establish the necessary infrastructure for connection to the national electricity grid.
It is also important to note that the Law serves as a general framework aimed at facilitating the subsequent implementation of auxiliary and specific regulations in this field. In this respect, in accordance with the legal deadlines established by the normative act, by the end of June 2025, the Government will have to approve, through a decision, the offshore wind areas in the Black Sea that may be concessioned. Within the same timeframe, the Government will also define procedural aspects regarding the concession of these areas.
According to public reports, it is estimated that the first MW of offshore wind energy could be integrated into the National Energy System in 2032.