Unlocking the geothermal energy potential of Romania

The document argues that Romania possesses significant untapped geothermal potential, particularly in the Western Plain, but is hindered by outdated data and regulatory barriers. While Romania ranked sixth in the EU for gross geothermal heat production in 2024, it has no geothermal electricity projects. The report suggests leveraging the existing oil and gas workforce and infrastructure to reduce costs and recommends establishing a one-stop-shop permitting mechanism and targeted financial risk-sharing for exploration.

• Romania has significant geothermal potential, especially in the Western Plain (Pannonian Basin area), and could potentially develop up to 800MW of capacity at costs lower than gas-fired generation before 2030 under favourable conditions.
• Despite its potential, geothermal energy in Romania is currently limited to spa applications and district heating, with no projects for electricity generation. In 2024, Romania was the sixth highest producer of gross geothermal heat among EU Member States.
• Development is slowed by administrative and technical barriers, including fragmented permitting, a lack of a clear legal framework, and a reliance on subsurface temperature maps from the 1980s.
• The existing oil and gas sector provides a foundation for geothermal growth through transferable expertise in drilling and subsurface analysis, as well as the potential use of abandoned wells and existing infrastructure.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (2026). Unlocking the geothermal energy potential of Romania. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/28164512/Unlocking-the-geothermal-energy-potential-of-Romania.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Unlocking the geothermal energy potential of Romania. 2026. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/28164512/Unlocking-the-geothermal-energy-potential-of-Romania.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Unlocking the geothermal energy potential of Romania |date=2026 |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/28164512/Unlocking-the-geothermal-energy-potential-of-Romania.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cleanairtaskforce2026unlocking, author = {{Clean Air Task Force}}, title = {{Unlocking the geothermal energy potential of Romania}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2026}, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/28164512/Unlocking-the-geothermal-energy-potential-of-Romania.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }