The Romanian Senate has approved a new legislative measure allowing construction to begin on the long-delayed Tarnita-Lăpuștești pumped-storage hydropower plant without the need for a new feasibility study. This decision is expected to break years of bureaucratic deadlock and accelerate the development of one of Romania’s most significant energy infrastructure projects.
The approved amendment to GEO 175/2022 classifies the Tarnita-Lăpuștești project as one of major public interest. This designation exempts it from further feasibility evaluations and removes key administrative obstacles that had stalled progress for years.
Located about 30 kilometers northwest of Cluj-Napoca, the planned hydropower plant is designed to have a total output capacity of 1,000 MW, divided across four 250 MW units. The project has long been a part of Romania’s national energy strategy, particularly as a solution to balancing the increasingly variable output from renewable sources like wind and solar. The facility will function both as an electricity generator and a consumer, storing excess energy when supply exceeds demand and releasing it during shortages.
Interest in the project dates back several years. In 2016, a consortium of Chinese companies—China Gezhouba Group, China Huadian Engineering, and Huaneng Lancang River Hydropower—submitted a preliminary bid for its development. More recently, in late 2024, Romania’s Ministry of Energy signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Japan’s Itochu Corporation to collaborate on the project.
The Senate’s move is seen as a crucial step in ensuring Romania has the infrastructure to manage its growing renewable energy portfolio while improving energy system flexibility and stability.
