January 17 (SeeNews) - Romania added 624 megawatts (MW) of new electricity generation capacity in 2023, marking nearly a tenfold increase compared to the previous year, Romania's energy ministry said on Wednesday.
The country commissioned 496 MW of solar, 72 MW of wind, and 56 MW of hydrocarbon power plants last year, while in 2022 only 44 MW of hydrocarbon and 25 MW of solar power plants were brought online, the ministry said in a press release on its website.
The growth was complemented by a substantial increase in the number of prosumers, individuals who generate their own electricity from renewable sources and feed it into the national grid. At the end of 2022, there were 40,171 prosumers in Romania, with a combined installed capacity of 417 MW. By the end of 2023, this figure had soared past 100,000 prosumers, with an estimated installed capacity likely surpassing 1,500 MW, the ministry added.
Romania is nearing the completion of procedures for implementing Contracts for Difference (CfD), which will support investments in solar and wind energy production through two successive auctions in 2024 and 2025, with a total installed capacity of 5000 MW.