A subsidiary of Monsson Group has submitted a proposal for a major battery energy storage project in Romania, seeking an environmental permit for a facility with a capacity of just over 2 GWh. The proposed location for the project is near Constanța, one of Romania’s key regions for renewable energy development, especially wind power. This project, being developed by Monsson’s subsidiary Vital Level, is valued at an estimated EUR 540 million. The request has been submitted to the Constanța Environmental Protection Agency (APM Constanța).

Currently, Romania has very limited energy storage capacity, with just 158 MWh in operation across the entire country. However, the country’s energy transition is heavily reliant on solar power, particularly from prosumers, and energy storage is becoming an essential pillar in managing the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources. Investors, including those in battery energy storage systems (BESS), are counting on substantial subsidies from the European Union to help support the development of storage capacity.

Monsson Group’s new project, which will be located in Stupina in the Crucea commune of Constanța County, is expected to store surplus wind and solar power and provide flexibility services to the national electricity transmission system, particularly in frequency and voltage regulation. The proposed battery storage facility will cover 20 hectares of land, but it is not subject to an environmental impact assessment.

Romania’s southeast region, particularly Constanța County and the Dobrogea region, is known as the country’s main hub for wind energy. Two new BESS facilities, each with a 60 MWh capacity, have recently come online. The total operating capacity for BESS in Romania is still relatively small, with just 82.4 MW of total installed capacity and 158 MWh of storage. However, this is a significant increase from June 2023, when the country had only 16.2 MW of operational capacity. The increase is mainly due to recent investments by companies like E-Infra, which commissioned two 60 MWh facilities, and Nova Power and Gas, which built a 30 MW unit in Dâmbovița County.

Monsson Group is also progressing with another battery storage project in Constanța, part of a hybrid power plant. The second phase of this project, which involves a 96 MWh facility, is near completion, and testing is expected to begin soon. The facility will include three units with a total capacity of 24 MW and a four-hour storage duration. Once completed, Monsson plans to install a total of 216 MWh at this site.

In August, Monsson Group set a goal to reach 1.5 GWh of battery storage capacity in Romania by the end of the decade. The company’s continued investments in energy storage reflect Romania’s growing commitment to expanding its renewable energy capacity and ensuring the stability of its increasingly renewable-based electricity grid.