A new wave of sale announcements has flooded specialized platforms like OLX, as speculative investments in solar projects will soon be restricted due to an increased financial guarantee by the market arbiter, ANRE. Sellers of speculative projects still have time to divest them, essentially until the technical connection permits expire, after which they will be required to pay the increased financial guarantee or give up.
”I logged into OLX and saw this: investment opportunity, advanced photovoltaic project, 2 MW, 611,000 lei and 90 bani. The price includes: technical connection approval obtained, connection contract signed with the distribution operator, environmental approval obtained, financing approved. The transaction structure is flexible and can be adapted according to the investor's strategy. For further details, discussions will be held privately.” stated ANRE president George Niculescu recently, who adds that ATRs totaling approximately 9,000 MW expired in 2025.
”It's not the only announcement of this kind. This is not how we will seriously develop energy production in Romania.” said Niculescu, quoted by Hotnews and Profit.ro.
ANRE has been preparing a new order since last month that provides for an increase in the guarantee from 5% to 20% of the connection fee value for projects with approved evacuation powers higher than 1 MW. Also, ANRE is creating the legal mechanism through which projects that do not demonstrate a real level of maturity may lose their connection right.
The measures were welcomed by PATRES, the industry's investor organization.
”The Romanian Association of Renewable Energy Producers (PATRES) appreciates the initiative of the National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE) to amend the Electricity Grid Connection Regulation, by introducing rules aimed at ensuring greater discipline in project development and unblocking grid capacities occupied by speculative or unviable projects.
”Failure to obtain ANRE authorization within the established deadlines or its withdrawal will lead to the loss of the ATR and the termination of the connection agreement. An important aspect is that the new requirements will also apply to existing projects that already hold an ATR. These will have 12 months from the order's entry into force to obtain ANRE authorization, otherwise they will lose the capacity reserved in the network. PATRES has consistently supported the need to introduce firmer mechanisms to ensure the maturity of projects seeking grid access and to prioritize real investments in renewable energy production capacities.” , said the organization's officials.
”Increasing the guarantees for obtaining the connection approval and establishing the obligation to obtain ANRE authorization within a 12-month period are necessary measures to discourage the artificial blocking of connection capacity by speculative projects. In recent years, we have seen numerous projects reserve grid capacity without moving to the implementation phase, which affects serious developers and slows down the pace of investment in renewable energy. We believe these measures will contribute to releasing blocked capacities and prioritizing projects that have a real degree of maturity and financing. At the same time, it is important for the implementation process to be clear, predictable, and applied fairly to all investors.” adds Martin Moise, first vice-president of PATRES.