The Romanian Ministry of Energy has announced the second auction under the State Aid Scheme through contracts for difference (CfD) to increase renewable energy production from onshore wind and solar sources.

The auction is for a capacity of 3,472 MW, with 2,000 MW for onshore wind and 1,472 MW for solar energy projects. The maximum strike prices are set at €80 (~$89.72)/MWh for wind and €73 (~$81.87)/MWh for solar projects.

The first CfD auction was launched in September 2024, including 500 MW of solar and 1 GW of wind capacity. The current auction was issued after the success of the first round, which allocated 432 MW of solar capacity.

Bids must be submitted by June 15, 2025. The auction results will be published on July 30.

The Ministry is removing the 25% cap on the maximum capacity awarded per applicant to allow bidders to scale their projects and encourage a more competitive strike price.

There are no restrictions on the quoted capacity in megawatts. Therefore, any applicant can submit multiple bids and obtain CfD for the capacity offered.

To reduce the risk of losing a marginal bid for a large capacity, the existing rules cap marginal bids at 120%.

Sebastian Burduja, Minister of Energy, said, “Our objective is clear: more renewable energy, better prices for consumers, and consolidated energy independence, in parallel with all our efforts to increase storage capacity.” He expressed confidence in Romania’s renewable energy future.

Recently, Romania awarded a 15-year CfD to Norway-based renewable energy solutions provider Scatec for a 190 MW project as part of the country’s 5 GW CfD program, with additional tenders expected in 2025.

Europe’s solar installations increased by 15% in 2024, according to a report by SolarPower Europe. Global solar installations hit a record high of 597 GW in 2024, a 33% increase year-over-year from 2023.