Romania Unveils 11 Black Sea Offshore Wind Concession Areas

Romania’s government has released a draft decision outlining 11 offshore wind concession areas in the Black Sea with a combined generation potential of 11.5 GW.

The initial phase includes three fixed-bottom offshore wind sites capable of producing a combined 3.1 GW. These projects are intended to help the country achieve its goal of installing 3 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2035 under Romania’s Energy Strategy 2025-2035.

A second phase proposes two additional fixed-bottom concession areas with a combined potential of 2.4 GW. However, these developments would require the relocation of existing military zones before construction could proceed.

The third phase focuses on a deepwater area with an estimated capacity of 6 GW. Because of the water depth, the projects are expected to rely on floating wind turbines or other deepwater foundation technologies. The proposed concession areas must receive formal approval before Romania can begin competitive bidding processes.

The draft decision references the World Bank’s Offshore Wind Roadmap for Romania, which estimates the country’s total technical offshore wind potential at approximately 76 GW. According to the report, around 22 GW could be developed using fixed-bottom technology, while a further 54 GW would be suitable for floating offshore wind. Average wind speeds across the proposed development zones exceed 7.5 meters per second.

The roadmap suggests Romania could install up to 7 GW of offshore wind under an accelerated development scenario, or around 3 GW under a more moderate growth pathway.

The Romanian government estimates the emerging offshore wind sector could contribute between €16 billion and €27 billion ($18.2 billion and $30.7 billion) in added economic value. The Ministry of Energy is inviting public feedback on the proposed offshore wind concession areas until July 31.