Since the energy crisis and Russia’s war against Ukraine, the gas supply situation has changed significantly, particularly for Eastern European countries. In this issue, we want to take a closer look at Romania.
Largest gas consumer in Southeast Europe
In 2021, Romania’s gas consumption was 12 billion cubic metres and was reduced to around 9.5 billion cubic metres by 2024. This makes the country the largest gas consumer among the Southeast European EU countries.
One third of total gas consumption is accounted for by households and commerce, the rest by industry and electricity generation. With an installed capacity of around 3.2 GW, gas-fired power plants account for around 15 per cent of annual electricity generation.
Russia was the only gas importer until the energy crisis
Romania has the most significant natural gas reserves in the region and covered up to 70 per cent of its gas requirements from its own gas production even before the energy crisis. Until 2021, Romania sourced practically all of its imported natural gas from Russia.
Russia thus had a de facto monopoly on Romania’s gas imports to date, with Russian gas imports accounting for 31 per cent in 2021. Despite its own gas production and gas storage facilities, the country was dependent on Russian natural gas, particularly during cold winters and when industrial demand was high.
The Russian gas volumes were mainly imported via the Trans-Balkan pipeline at the Romanian/Ukrainian border crossing point Isaccea/Orlovka (Ukraine transit), via Bulgaria at the Negru Voda Kardam point (Turkstream) and in smaller quantities via the diversions through Hungary at the Csanadpalota border crossing point.
Changes since the energy crisis
Romania has since gradually reduced its dependence on Russian natural gas and has now become completely independent of Russian gas imports in the course of 2025. The Russian gas flows via Bulgaria are now only forwarded as transit to the main customer countries of the Turkstream pipeline deliveries to Hungary, Slovakia and Serbia.
Since the energy crisis, Romania has reduced its gas consumption by around 21%, with savings of as much as 25% in the industrial sector. Romania was thus able to replace Russian gas imports thanks to the high savings in gas consumption, stable domestic production and utilisation of gas storage facilities as well as new pipeline connections.
Romania now also imports supplies from other sources such as Azerbaijan and LNG imports from Greece. To this end, the country is connected to the Greece-Bulgaria gas interconnector (IGB pipeline). Romania was thus able to import around 3 billion cubic metres of natural gas from Azerbaijan in 2024.
Largest gas producer in the EU
In 2024, Romania’s domestic gas production amounted to around 8 billion cubic metres. This makes the country by far the largest gas producer in the European Union.
Around half of the gas production comes from the state-owned company Romgaz. OMV Petrom, a subsidiary of the Austrian OMV AG, produces around 3 billion cubic metres per year, while the remaining 1 billion cubic metres of natural gas come from the Midia project, an association of gas fields in the Black Sea (Black Sea Oil & Gas, BSOG).
A significant future project is the Neptun Deep gas field in the Black Sea, which is being jointly developed by Romgaz and OMV Petrom. With an estimated 100 billion cubic metres of recoverable gas, production is expected to start in 2027, doubling Romania’s gas production.
Neptun Deep project – Romania’s strategy
With the development of the Neptun Deep project, Romania aims to become a net exporter of natural gas from 2027. From 2027, gas production from the Neptun Deep project is expected to be around 8 billion cubic metres per year. It is planned that this production volume will remain constant at this level until 2037.
Many environmental organisations, including Greenpeace, are heavily criticising the project, pointing to the climate risks posed by the additional CO2 emissions and the threat to biodiversity in the region.
Romania’s current government has a lot at stake with the realisation of this project and is not exactly squeamish about criticism. The state-owned gas company Romgaz recently sued Greenpeace Romania and is demanding that the organisation be dissolved.