Grid Access in Romania from 2026: Capacity Auctions and Bankability

Practical guidance on Romania's 2026 grid access reset: allocation, auctions, and bankability impact.

Romania has fundamentally changed how grid access is secured for renewable energy projects. Starting in 2026, grid capacity is no longer reserved chronologically. It is allocated competitively, through a structured mechanism based on global grid studies and auctions.

Although ANRE Order no. 79/2025 was adopted in mid-December, the beginning of 2026 is the right moment to treat it as a critical reset and practical refresher for developers, investors, EPCs and financiers active in the Romanian renewables market.

This article explains, in practical terms, what changes, when the new rules apply, which projects are affected, and why this shift directly impacts bankability and transaction risk.

1. 2026 Is a Transition Year - and the Calendar Matters

Order 79/2025 introduces a special transitional calendar for 2026, deviating from the standard annual cycle established under the capacity allocation methodology.

Key deadlines for 2026

• Capacity allocation requests: July 2026
• Global grid solution study (OTS): October 2026
• Daily capacity auctions: starting 30 October 2026

Practical consequence

Any project timeline built on assumptions such as "ATR issuance follows the usual sequence" or "we still have time this year" is already misaligned. In 2026, grid access planning becomes calendar-driven, not procedural.

2. Projects ≥ 5 MW Enter a New Grid Access Regime

From 1 January 2026, grid access for projects with installed generation capacity equal to or above 5 MW is no longer governed by the traditional "first come, first served" logic.

Instead, capacity is secured through:

• capacity allocation requests,
• global grid solution studies performed by the TSO, and
• competitive auctions.

This applies to:

• renewable generation projects (PV, wind, hybrid),
• production + consumption sites,
• storage projects on the injection side.

Legacy projects are not automatically protected

Projects submitted before 2026 are pushed into the new system if:

• solution studies were not submitted by 31 December 2025, or
• solution studies were submitted, but ATRs are not issued by 30 June 2026.

In those cases, developers must re-enter the process via capacity allocation, even if significant preparatory work has already been completed.

3. Cleanup of the Legacy Pipeline: Refund of Study Fees

Order 79/2025 introduces a rare and explicit corrective measure.

Refund obligation

For projects ≥ 5 MW:

• if no solution study was submitted by 31 December 2025,
• distribution operators must refund the full study fee collected from developers,
• by 1 March 2026.

Market rationale

This provision is a clear regulatory signal that:

• the historical backlog of "blocked" or dormant projects must be cleared, and
• developers should not bear financial costs for studies that no longer fit the applicable grid access regime.

From a legal and transactional perspective, this marks a hard reset of the old pipeline.

4. A Critical Clarification for BESS Projects

One of the most misunderstood - yet commercially relevant - clarifications introduced by Order 79/2025 concerns battery energy storage systems (BESS).

What is excluded from capacity allocation

The methodology does not apply to:

• grid consumption for charging,
• auxiliary consumption of storage installations.

What remains subject to allocation

Only the injection / production side of BESS (i.e. when energy is delivered into the grid) is subject to capacity allocation.

Practical meaning

BESS projects are not outside the grid access system, but: their charging side does not artificially block grid capacity, capacity allocation focuses on network evacuation capability, not controllable consumption. This clarification materially improves predictability and bankability for storage projects, especially in hybrid and flexibility-driven business models.

5. Partial Deactivation of the Old Grid Connection Rules

For projects ≥ 5 MW subject to the new methodology, key provisions of the classic grid connection regulation (ANRE Order no. 59/2013) no longer apply.

Legal effect

Grid access for large projects is no longer driven primarily by:

• individual ATR sequencing, or
• incremental project-by-project connection logic.

Instead, it is governed by:

• system-level planning,
• capacity competition, and
• annual allocation cycles.

This is not a technical adjustment. It is a structural change in regulatory philosophy.

6. What This Means for Bankability and Transactions

From a financing and M&A perspective, Order 79/2025 introduces a new category of risk: the risk of not securing capacity allocation, even if land, permits and financing are otherwise in place.

Key implications

• Grid access becomes a competitive asset, not a procedural step.
• Development timelines must integrate auction risk and calendar risk.
• EPC, supply and financing contracts must include grid allocation-related conditions precedent and fallback scenarios.
• Projects that are technically ready, well-located and strategically timed will have a decisive advantage.

7. Key Takeaway for Developers and Investors

In one sentence: Grid capacity in Romania is no longer reserved. It is competed for. And in 2026, readiness beats seniority - every single time.

How Grigorescu Partners Can Assist

We provide legal and business support for renewable energy projects in Romania, covering the full project lifecycle, including:

• land and grid access strategy,
• development and permitting,
• EPC & OEM contracts,
• PPAs and offtake structures,
• EU funding and state aid,
• licensing and compliance,
• transactions, M&A and project finance.

A one-stop legal shop for serious energy projects.

If you are developing or acquiring a Romanian renewable energy or storage project and want a clear view on grid access, allocation risk and bankability, share a short summary of the asset and its current status.