Romania power price hits RON 4,250/MWh after sunset — NRG-IA

The Day-Ahead Market (DAM) managed by OPCOM cleared at an average price of RON 1,171.13/MWh for delivery on Monday, June 29. During the 19:00–19:15 interval, the spot price surged to RON 4,250.09/MWh, equivalent to approximately EUR 811/MWh. Nine other 15-minute intervals in the evening exceeded the RON 4,000/MWh threshold. This is not a price automatically paid by every household for every kWh consumed, but rather the wholesale price resulting from a specific market window for the electricity delivered during those 15 minutes. However, the figure demonstrates how quickly electricity can become expensive when the system loses photovoltaic generation, cooling demand remains high, and the capacities meant to cover the peak are unavailable or insufficient. Romania did not experience a blackout or a supply crisis. The market functioned, imports were available, and demand was met. The issue was the extreme cost of marginal power required after sunset. 19:00 is becoming the system's critical hour On days with high solar generation, the system can enjoy abundant power at midday. Photovoltaic panels deliver heavily during peak radiation hours, and prices can drop if demand does not grow at the same pace. After sunset, the mechanism reverses. Photovoltaic generation drops off rapidly, but consumption does not disappear with the sun. During heatwaves, air conditioning units remain on in homes, shops, offices, and industrial spaces, while high nighttime temperatures delay any reduction in demand. The National Meteorological Administration (ANM) issued severe heatwave warnings for June 28–29, with temperatures reaching 34–38°C in many regions and up to 39–40°C in areas under a red alert. Tropical nights keep pressure on consumption even after dark. This is Romania's evening challenge: solar power lowers costs at midday, but the system needs other sources capable of delivering quickly after 19:00. This is where storage hydropower plants, gas-fired plants, available nuclear units, batteries, and imports come into play. Heatwaves pressure both consumption and generation simultaneously Heatwaves increase consumption but also impact the generation side. High temperatures can reduce the efficiency of photovoltaic panels, limit hydro generation during low-flow periods, and complicate the operation of power plants cooled by river water. Additionally, weak winds reduce the contribution of wind farms precisely during the hours when solar power exits the market. In this instance, the issue did not stem solely from weather conditions. Romania entered the critical evening window with several capacities unavailable. According to data compiled by Economica.net , one of the nuclear units at Cernavodă was shut down for maintenance, half of the Petrom Brazi plant was unavailable, CET București Vest was completely offline, and units at CET Sud, Iernut, Iron Gates I, Râul Mare, and Lotru were partially missing from the system's available capacity. The planned outage of Cernavodă Unit 1 had been announced by Nuclearelectrica for May 10 as part of its maintenance, inspection, and testing program. Planned outages are necessary for safety and long-term operation, but their scheduling becomes more sensitive when demand surges and other flexible sources are already constrained. Imports worked, but did not equalize prices During the 15-minute interval with the highest price, Romania was importing power from Bulgaria and Hungary through the day-ahead market coupling mechanism. Imports from Bulgaria had reached 1,600 MW, the maximum capacity offered for that interval, while another 95 MW came from Hungary. Imports were not lacking. The limiting factor was the available transfer capacity at a moment when the Romanian market needed additional, rapid power. At the same time, Economica.net pointed out that Bulgaria and Greece had much lower daily averages of around EUR 90/MWh and EUR 87/MWh, respectively, compared to approximately EUR 224/MWh in Romania. This difference highlights the practical limits of an interconnected European market. Cheaper power from the region can only reach Romania up to the limits of the transmission lines and the capacity allocated for that interval. When interconnections are congested, the local market can be left with a significantly higher price than neighboring states. The issue is not midday power, but power after sunset Romania has rapidly installed photovoltaic capacity, reaching new solar generation records in recent months. This supports the system during daylight hours, reduces the need for fossil fuels, and can lower prices when weather conditions are favorable. However, every additional solar MW also increases the need for flexibility. Power generated at midday becomes far more valuable if it can be shifted to the 19:00–22:00 interval, when consumption remains high and solar generation drops sharply. This is where batteries come in. They can charge during hours of solar surplus and discharge in the evening when…