Romania has taken another step towards establishing a regulated renewable hydrogen market after the Senate approved revised legislation covering the production, monitoring and use of hydrogen.
The legislation will now move to the Chamber of Deputies for the final parliamentary vote, leaving the proposed framework one step closer to full approval.
One of the most significant provisions concerns the transport sector. From 2030, fuel suppliers would be required to ensure that renewable fuels of non-biological origin, including renewable hydrogen, account for at least 1% of the fuels they place on the market.
The proposed requirement is also linked to the implementation of Romania’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan. Together with the country’s national hydrogen strategy, the legislation forms part of a broader milestone associated with more than €1 billion in European funding.
The bill was substantially revised during the parliamentary process after earlier versions received negative opinions from both the Economic and Energy committees. Subsequent amendments, including changes affecting fuel-supplier obligations, secured unanimous committee support before the Senate approved the legislation.
Romania’s regulatory push comes as the country’s first significant industrial hydrogen projects are beginning to take shape.
OMV Petrom plans to develop two renewable-hydrogen installations at its Petrobrazi refinery, with electrolyser capacities of 20 MW and 35 MW respectively.
The combined capacity of the two projects would reach 55 MW, making Petrobrazi an important potential source of domestic renewable hydrogen production.
The projects also illustrate why Romania is increasingly focusing on both the supply and demand sides of the emerging hydrogen market.
Renewable hydrogen producers require predictable offtake and sufficiently high utilisation rates to support project economics. At the same time, regulatory obligations imposed on fuel suppliers can create demand that might otherwise develop more slowly.
Romania is therefore attempting to build the market from both directions.
Industrial projects such as Petrobrazi could establish domestic production capacity, while the proposed 1% transport requirement from 2030 would create a formal demand signal for renewable fuels of non-biological origin.
The legislation would amend Law 237/2023 and Government Emergency Ordinance 163/2022, bringing Romania’s regulatory framework closer to EU requirements while supporting its domestic energy objectives.
The final parliamentary approval is still pending.
However, Senate approval represents a significant step towards a hydrogen framework in which industrial investment, mandatory demand and European funding are increasingly connected rather than developed as separate policy measures.
For Romania, the next challenge will be turning the regulatory framework into actual market demand. The proposed 1% transport target could provide an important initial anchor, but the development of a larger hydrogen industry will ultimately depend on project economics, infrastructure and the ability of producers to secure long-term customers.
