After decades of delays and repeated restarts, Romania’s long-planned Tarnita-Lapustesti pump-storage hydropower project is moving forward. Hidroelectrica and French energy company EDF have agreed to jointly develop the 1,000 MW facility, marking the most concrete step yet in reviving one of the country’s largest energy infrastructure projects.
Under the plan, Hidroelectrica and EDF Power Solutions International will form a joint venture, each holding a 50% stake. A shareholders’ agreement will govern the operational and governance framework, with the new company responsible for developing and operating the pump-storage plant.
Earlier government studies highlighted several benefits of the project, including improved system stability, fast reserve capacity, frequency regulation, and better integration of intermittent renewable generation. The plant is also expected to strengthen Romania’s role in the European single electricity market, enhancing network reliability and operational security.
Interest in HPP Tarnita-Lapustesti has resurged amid discussions on large-scale energy storage, with previous talks involving EDF, Japanese firm Itochu, and the Romanian Government. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has supported preparatory work through studies on financing large-scale storage solutions, including pump-storage projects.
The facility is planned roughly 30 kilometers from Cluj-Napoca, along the Somes River. Initially outlined in 1979, it would become Romania’s largest pumped-storage hydropower plant, significantly enhancing the country’s energy flexibility and storage capacity.