Romania looks to the UAE to power its energy future

Romania has called on Emirati companies to invest in its energy sector and beyond, presenting the country as a key energy hub for Central and Eastern Europe. 

Marius-Viorel Poșa, Secretary of State at Romania’s Ministry of Energy, made the pitch to the Emirates News Agency (WAM) on the sidelines of ADIPEC 2026 in Abu Dhabi.

Poșa pointed to several flagship projects: the Neptun Deep gas field in the Black Sea, which is expected to supply significant volumes of gas to Romania and the region; wind farms; and the Cernavodă nuclear plant, where two units are operating and two more are planned. He also highlighted the Vertical Gas Corridor, which carries gas from Greece through Romania to Ukraine, Moldova and other neighbours.

The Romanian ministry, he said, supports projects and talks involving UAE companies and is working to open further opportunities. 

He encouraged Emirati firms to set up production facilities in Romania, arguing that locating closer to consumers would cut transport costs and boost competitiveness in regional markets.

Lessons from a summer crisis

On energy security, Poșa said resilience means keeping operations running and managing risks, not just recovering from disruptions. He cited this summer’s crisis, when low water levels on the Danube strained hydropower and nuclear generation, forcing Romania to fall back on coal-fired power.

Romania is now expanding battery storage for solar energy and gas storage capacity, while keeping limited thermal generation as a backup. Energy policy, he added, must be planned at least five years ahead to maintain a balanced mix as nuclear, solar and wind take a bigger share.