Romania Launches Call to Identify Potential Offshore Wind Areas in Black Sea

The Romanian Ministry of Energy has launched a call for expressions of interest for a study aimed at identifying suitable areas in the Black Sea for offshore wind development, supporting the rollout of at least 3 GW of capacity by 2035.

According to the Ministry of Energy, this marks the first step in implementing the country’s Law No. 121/2024 on offshore wind energy.

The study will analyse the wind potential in the Black Sea, the geotechnical characteristics of the marine environment, the environmental impact and biodiversity, grid connection options, and compatibility with other uses of the maritime space, such as navigation, fishing, extraction, or military areas.

Expressions of interest can be submitted until 10 June 2025.

The initiative is supported by international partners, including the World Bank and the European Commission (EC), through the Technical Support Instrument (TSI) provided by the Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support (SG REFORM).

“The Black Sea is a strategic energy resource for our country, which we have not exploited enough so far, but which can become an essential pillar of national and regional energy security,” said Sebastian Burduja, Minister of Energy.

According to the estimates from the World Bank, Romania’s technical offshore wind potential is 76 GW, 22 GW of which is suitable for fixed-bottom wind turbines and 54 GW for floating.

In September 2024, the Romanian government published a new offshore wind roadmap. Low growth, which assumes 3 GW of offshore wind power is installed to supply 16 per cent of Romania’s electricity needs (by TWh) by the end of 2035. High growth, which assumes 7 GW of offshore wind power is installed to supply 37 per cent of Romania’s electricity needs by the end of 2035.