Romania’s Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE) has proposed new grid connection rules.
According to Bucharest-based law firm Nyerges & Partners, the latest draft order is in response to market concerns about specific grid connection principles in current legislation.
It follows ANRE’s approval of a competitive, auction-based mechanism for grid connections of new power plants of at least 5 MW, due to be brought into force from the start of 2026.
ANRE is now planning to allow extensions to connection agreements for successive 12-month periods, subject to the payment of a 5% guarantee for each extension.
The draft order says no specific project status will need to be demonstrated to obtain such extension but adds an extension will not be applicable when the extension is required due to delays in the performance of connection installation or reinforcement works, which are under the responsibility of the grid operator.
Mihaela Nyerges, a representative of Nyerges & Partners, told pv magazine that adding clear rules for extending the connection agreement is “the most important and positive development”.
“The previous legislative gap led to inconsistent practices among grid operators,” Nyerges explained. “Notably, the transmission system operator recently adopted internal extension conditions that raised concerns across the market. These conditions were unilaterally included in all new connection agreements signed since the beginning of the year, without room for negotiation.”
“ANRE’s move to implement a unified extension framework – together with the obligation for grid operators to align existing agreements accordingly – is a highly welcome and constructive intervention,” Nyerges said.
The authority’s draft order also outlines that the deadline for submitting a connection agreement extension should be extended from 30 to 45 calendar days before the expiration date of the grid connection permit.
As part of last year’s agreed legislation, the requirement to provide a 5% guarantee was shifted from the connection agreement signing date to the date a grid connection permit is issued. ANRE is now proposing the guarantee is submitted within two months from the receipt of an endorsed solution study, with failure to do so resulting in the dismissal of the connection application.
Nyerges says this is “another significant improvement” that is “introduced to deter speculative projects lacking financial backing.”
“Until now, the absence of a clear deadline allowed developers to delay payment, rendering the measure ineffective,” Nyerges said. “The ANRE draft now addresses this gap by imposing a two-month deadline from the endorsement of the solution study. Failure to comply results in the rejection of the connection application.”
The draft order also features amendments on final commissioning deadlines, connection to grids of 110 kV or higher and details of operational limitations excluded from reinforcement works. A public consultation on the draft order is now open, with stakeholders invited to provide feedback until Apr. 21, 2025.
Romania installed 1.7 GW of solar last year, pushing the country’s cumulative solar capacity to almost 5 GW.
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