Positioned for Impact: How Romania’s Geostrategic Role Is Shaping the Future of Energy
CES Bucharest Interview with Alexandru Chirita, CEO Electrica
As Europe’s energy landscape evolves amid geopolitical shifts, Romania’s position at the intersection of NATO’s Eastern flank and the EU’s energy architecture is emerging as a critical strategic asset. In this context, Alexandru Chirita, CEO of Electrica, outlines how the Group is leveraging the country’s geography, diversified energy mix and rising investor appetite to strengthen national resilience while contributing to Europe’s broader decarbonization and energy-security goals.
Chirita highlights Electrica’s multi-year investment plan of over 3.7 billion RON, aimed at modernizing the grid, accelerating digitalization and delivering 1,000 MW of renewable capacity and 900 MWh of storage by 2030. These efforts, as highlighted in the interview below, will help Romania advance energy independence, integrate prosumers at scale and position the country as a future exporter and regional hub for clean, reliable energy.
Romania`s position in the region – Electrica`s role in turning this positioning into a long-term competitive advantage
Romania is positioned in a key geostrategic area — a bridge between East and West, at the border of NATO’s Eastern flank and at the heart of Europe’s energy policies. This positioning provides us not only with greater responsibilities, but also with immense opportunities. Electrica views this reality as a long-term competitive advantage, one that we can transform into a driver of development.
For us, the key lies in two complementary directions: substantial investments in distribution and generation infrastructure and increasingly rapid integration into the European energy market. The better Romania becomes regionally interconnected—through resilient networks and diversified generation sources—the more its role grows in the European Union’s energy security.
Electrica is already engaged in major projects, from modernizing the distribution infrastructure for our 4 million users to developing new renewable generation capacities that will strengthen Romania’s position as a regional hub.
Assessing the attractiveness of Romania’s energy market in 2025 compared to other markets in the region
The Romanian market is among the most attractive in Central and Eastern Europe, due to its strong potential for renewable investments, its geographic location and its natural resources. At the same time, regulatory stability and transparency remain essential factors for maintaining investor confidence.
Romania’s competitive edge lies in its diversified energy mix including hydro, nuclear, renewable and natural gas resources. In addition, there is growing appetite for digitalization and grid modernization, making the energy infrastructure an increasingly appealing destination for investors.
However, vulnerabilities persist in bureaucracy and the slow pace of certain authorization processes. There is a clear need to accelerate project implementation and ensure a predictable regulatory environment, so that the market’s full potential can be realized. Electrica aims to contribute to this transformation through direct investments and ongoing dialogue with authorities.
How are new investments in renewables changing market dynamics – Electrica`s strategic role in this transformation
Investments in renewables are fundamentally reshaping the structure of the energy market. The growing number of prosumers, the diversification of generation sources and the integration of storage solutions are transforming the traditional model into one that is far more decentralized and flexible.
Electrica plays a strategic role in this transition, both by developing its own projects, targeting 1,000 MW of renewable capacity and 900 MWh of storage by 2030 and by integrating prosumers into the grid. Modernizing the distribution infrastructure to accommodate new energy flows is one of our key priorities.
In this way, we directly contribute to the decarbonization of the economy, as well as to the democratization of energy access, through a model where every consumer can also become a producer.
Opportunities for strengthening Romania’s energy independence
Recent geopolitical developments have shown us just how vital energy independence truly is. Romania has the opportunity not only to become energy independent, but also to act as a regional pillar of stability, leveraging its resources and production capacities.
Electrica positions itself as a key player in this direction. We are developing large-scale renewable projects and modernizing our distribution networks to make them more resilient and secure. At the same time, we are working with regional and European partners to better integrate Romania into cross-border energy flows.
The opportunity we see is clear: to transform Romania into a hub for clean, reliable energy, contributing not only to national security but also to regional stability.
Electrica’s planned investments in the next 5 years. Impact on Romania’s energy export capacity
Electrica has planned investments of at least 3.7 billion RON over the next five years. A significant share is allocated to modernizing distribution infrastructure, digitalization and developing renewable capacities.
Our 2030 target is to implement 1 GW of renewable generation and 900 MWh of storage capacity. These investments will decisively contribute to strengthening grid resilience, facilitate the integration of prosumers and enhance Romania’s capacity to export green energy.
The impact is twofold: on the one hand, we contribute to national energy security and Europe’s decarbonization goals; on the other, we create the foundation for Romania to become a regional provider of sustainable energy.
Electrica Group is a key player on Romania’s electricity distribution, supply and generation markets, as well as one of the country’s most important providers of energy-related services. The Group serves 4 million users, covering 18 counties across three geographical areas for electricity distribution (Northern Transylvania, Southern Transylvania, and Northern Muntenia) and operates nationwide in electricity supply, maintenance and energy services. As of July 2014, Electrica S.A., the Group’s holding company, is listed on both the Bucharest Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange, with a majority private shareholding. It is the only Romanian listed company that operates in an integrated manner across electricity distribution, supply and generation.
