Romania’s net electricity imports increased by 82.08% to 135.72 GWh in the week to 20 September. The rise coincided with lower variable renewable generation and greater reliance on cross-border supply. Demand also fell during the same period.
Romanian wind and solar output declined by 25.9%, while hydropower generation dropped by 13.50%. Electricity demand decreased by 5.83% to 866.61 GWh. Despite the lower consumption, imports still increased.
Cross-border balances with Bulgaria
The import increase widened the difference between Romania and neighbouring Bulgaria. Bulgaria remained a net exporter of 247.47 GWh, although its export balance fell by 9.90% from the previous week. The change affected the relative direction of flows between the two markets.
Day-ahead prices and implications for trading
Romanian day-ahead power averaged €177.36/MWh, compared with €162.07/MWh in Bulgaria, a premium of about €15/MWh. Romania’s weekly average price was nearly unchanged despite the higher import volume. The data point to a volume-driven shift alongside weaker domestic renewable and hydro output.
The figures indicate a potential trading opportunity rather than a guaranteed return on a cross-border transaction. Whether any weekly price gap can be captured depends on available transmission capacity, hourly prices, and the cost of securing capacity.