IN Brief:
- An unnamed contractor will deliver balance-of-plant and high-voltage connection works for Studina in Olt County.
- The standalone development is rated at 100 MW/200 MWh and will connect to Romania’s distribution network.
- Construction is expected in the fourth quarter of 2026, with grid connection targeted for the third quarter of 2027.
R.Power is progressing a second utility-scale battery energy storage development in Romania after appointing a contractor for balance-of-plant and high-voltage grid connection work. The Studina project, located in Olt County, is planned with a power rating of 100 MW and energy capacity of 200 MWh. Construction is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026.
Connection to Romania's distribution network is targeted for the third quarter of 2027. The company has not identified the appointed contractor or disclosed the value of the agreement, leaving the precise division of design, equipment supply and construction responsibilities unconfirmed. The appointment is therefore best understood as progress on supporting infrastructure rather than the start of physical works or an award to a named battery technology supplier.
Studina follows R.Power's separate 127 MW/254 MWh Scornicești installation, also located in Olt County. The earlier development has advanced through equipment installation and is approaching completion. The latest announcement concerns a different site and a different connection programme; it does not describe another phase of the existing Scornicești battery.
Together, the two Romanian projects have stated ratings of 227 MW and 454 MWh, although those figures combine an installation approaching completion with one still preparing for construction. Adding their nameplate capacities does not mean all that capacity is connected or currently available to the electricity system. Each asset must complete its own delivery, commissioning and connection stages.
The Studina battery is described as standalone, meaning it has not been announced as a component of a specific adjacent solar or wind plant. It may charge from the electricity network and export stored energy when dispatched, subject to its connection agreement and operating permissions. R.Power has not specified its battery supplier, storage chemistry, exact voltage at the point of connection or intended market contracts.
A 100 MW power rating describes the maximum nominal rate of charging or discharging. The 200 MWh energy rating indicates a nominal two-hour duration at full power, before usable state-of-charge limits and electrical losses are taken into account. The actual electricity delivered to the distribution network will depend on the completed equipment configuration, state of charge and operating restrictions.
The balance-of-plant scope is central to converting battery equipment into a functioning installation. It can include civil foundations, drainage, site roads, medium-voltage collection circuits, auxiliary electrical supplies, communications and control infrastructure. The exact items included at Studina have not been itemised, so their presence should not be presented as a confirmed bill of materials. The separate reference to high-voltage connection works establishes that the contractor also has responsibilities at the network interface.
Battery modules store energy in direct-current form, whereas the connected power network carries alternating current. Power conversion systems control the two-way exchange of electricity, transformers adapt voltage as required, and switchgear and protection systems must isolate electrical faults. At the distribution network interface, metering and communications arrangements also need to support operational control and the measurement of energy flows.
The high-voltage designation does not establish that Studina will connect to Romania's transmission network. The company specifically describes a connection to the national distribution grid, where high-voltage equipment may form part of the receiving infrastructure. Treating high-voltage works and transmission ownership as interchangeable would misstate the announced arrangement.
A storage facility of this size must coordinate battery operating limits with the conditions imposed by the network. Control systems need to consider available stored energy, cell temperatures, voltage limits and the rate at which the installation can change power output. Connection studies and commissioning tests establish whether the completed plant behaves acceptably during normal operation and relevant electrical disturbances.
Romanian electricity markets offer potential uses for storage, including moving energy between periods and providing eligible balancing services. Those are possible operating functions, not confirmed revenue contracts for Studina. A two-hour system can respond rapidly while sufficient energy remains, but its ability to sustain maximum output is finite and must be managed against later dispatch obligations.
R.Power reports approximately 900 MW/3 GWh of storage capacity operating or under construction across Central and Eastern Europe, together with another 700 MW/2.8 GWh of commercialised projects ready to build. These are regional portfolio categories at different stages, not a measure of connected Romanian capacity or an assurance that every project has begun construction.
The company's expansion in Romania now involves two distinct battery sites at different delivery milestones. Scornicești is moving towards completion; Studina still needs the appointed infrastructure work to be mobilised and executed before grid testing can begin. The developer has not given a confirmed commercial operating date beyond the targeted connection quarter.
Work at Studina is planned to start before the end of 2026, followed by connection in the third quarter of 2027. The newly announced contractor appointment is a defined step towards that programme, with the equipment selection, precise connection design and final commissioning timetable still to be disclosed.
