R.Power completes battery installation for 127 MW storage asset in Romania

R.Power has completed the physical installation of battery enclosures at its Scornicești project in Olt County, Romania. The installation features a power rating of 127 MW and an energy capacity of 254 MWh. Work now shifts toward electrical integration, high-voltage substation commissioning, and final testing, with commercial operation and connection to the Transelectrica transmission grid expected in late 2026 or early 2027.

The project highlights the expanding role of standalone battery energy storage systems in Southeastern Europe. As renewable generation accelerates across Romania and neighboring markets, transmission network operators face increasing challenges related to frequency regulation, voltage control, and congestion management. Large-scale battery facilities connected directly to the transmission grid serve as vital balancing assets, providing synthetic inertia, fast frequency response, and peak shaving services.

For power engineering teams, the integration of a 127 MW and 254 MWh battery system into a high-voltage grid requires specialized substation design. Interfacing large battery arrays with a national transmission network like Transelectrica demands dedicated step-up transformers, advanced protection relays, and robust switchgear capable of managing rapid bidirectional power flows. Transformer specifiers must account for cyclic thermal loading and potential harmonic distortion introduced by multi-megawatt inverter configurations. Furthermore, fast-acting switchgear and precise fault detection are critical to isolate DC or AC side anomalies without disrupting grid stability.

Grid energisation schedules spanning into late 2026 or early 2027 reflect the complex commissioning timelines associated with utility-scale storage assets. These timelines encompass protection coordination studies, compliance testing for grid codes, and the procurement of high-voltage step-up equipment.

What this means for asset owners in the Balkans and the Black Sea region: Transmission and distribution system operators in Romania must prepare substation infrastructure for rapid duty cycles associated with battery storage integration. High-voltage transformers connecting multi-megawatt battery farms require enhanced thermal monitoring and harmonic filtering to prevent premature insulation degradation. Plant managers should review breaker interruption ratings and protection coordination ahead of expected grid energisation targets in 2026 or 2027 to ensure seamless system interconnectivity.