RENewLand Regional Conference: Sustainable Approaches for Designating Renewable Energy Acceleration Areas in Romania, Hungary, and Bulgaria
Background
To meet the REPowerEU Plan’s objective to diversify the EU Member States’ energy supply and implement the EU’s revised Renewable Energy Directive, Member States must install an additional 600GW of solar capacity and more than double wind capacity to at least 480GW by 2030.
As wind and solar energy production require more space than energy generated from fossil fuels, the designation of acceleration areas should be high on the public agenda. In Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria, however, local, regional and national authorities, renewable technology experts and environmental organisations lack the knowledge, capacity and process facilitation skills that are essential for designating acceleration areas for renewable energy.
Agenda
| 09:00 – 09:30 | Registration and welcome coffee |
| 09:30 – 09:45 | Introduction
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| 09:45 – 10:00 | Presentation of RENewLand project
The presentation will outline the key aspects developed in the project by the consortium and highlight the progress made so far.
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| 10:00 – 11:00 | Panel of discussion: From Policy to Implementation: Strategies for Renewable Energy Acceleration Areas in the CEE Region
The panel will bring together key representatives from central institutions to discuss sustainable approaches for mapping and designating Renewable Energy Acceleration Areas (RAAs) in Romania, Hungary, and Bulgaria. The speakers will share insights on the status of national legislative frameworks and considered practices for RAAs.
Moderator: Mihnea Cătuți, Executive Director, Energy Policy Group |
| 11:00 – 11:30 | Coffee break |
| 11:30 – 12:30 | Panel of discussion: Harmonising Renewable Energy Expansion with Environmental Protection
The panel will explore solutions and challenges in implementing Renewable Energy Acceleration Areas (RAAs) from an industry and environmental perspective. Experts from the energy sector and environmental protection will share insights on balancing renewable energy expansion with environmental considerations, regulatory frameworks, and local stakeholder engagement.
Moderator: Adam Harmat, Regional Coordinator WWF CEE |
| 12:30 – 12:45 | Concluding remarks |
| 12:45 – 13:45 | Lunch |
Partners
- Energy Policy Group (coordinator) – Romania
- WWF Romania – Romania
- WWF Hungary Foundation – Hungary
- Centre for Energy Research – Hungary
- WWF Bulgaria – Bulgaria
Countries
- Romania
- Hungary
- Bulgaria
Funding
Progress so far
Identifying Key Challenges:
Through a series of roundtable discussions with energy sector representatives, investors, NGOs, and spatial planning experts in Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania, the project consortium partners have identified the major challenges in mapping and designating renewable energy acceleration zones in the three countries. In each country, a detailed report has been elaborated, outlining legal, technical, environmental, and social barriers, serving as a foundation for strategic planning, which was presented to the decision makers.
Establishing Principles for Sustainable Development:
Following stakeholder discussions, a Joint Declaration was drafted in each of the three project countries, outlining key principles for accelerating renewable energy. These principles include cross-sector collaboration, data collection, stakeholder consultation, and the prioritization of degraded or artificial spaces. Across the three countries, the declaration has received support from over 40 organizations and has been submitted to national authorities for consideration in the acceleration zone designation process.
Learning from European Best Practices:
Through the project it was developed a report (“Expert advice on spatial planning for renewable energy sources and land hierarchy conflict”) which highlighted best practice approaches in Portugal, Czechia, and Croatia, along with some examples from France and Spain. The report was disseminated to stakeholders from Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania and made public through a regional webinar hosted by Energy Policy Group.
Developing and Applying a Methodology for Spatial Planning:
A methodology for integrated spatial planning of renewable energy acceleration areas has been successfully developed for Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania. This methodology provides a structured approach, defining key steps, criteria, and parameters for designating acceleration areas for solar and onshore wind energy. It also lays out a governance process to ensure transparency and efficiency in spatial planning. The methodology is now ready for implementation and will be applied in pilot areas across the three project countries. By testing and refining the approach in real-world conditions, the project aims to support authorities, industry stakeholders, and civil society in making informed decisions that balance renewable energy expansion with environmental and social considerations.
More about the project
- Energy Policy Group: epg-thinktank.org/renewland/
- Centre for Energy Research: EUKI RENewLand – HUN-REN Energiatudományi Kutatóközpont
- WWF Bulgaria: Земя за възобновяема енергия | WWF
WWF Hungary: EUKI RENewLand – WWF Magyarország - WWF Romania: wwf.ro/ce-facem/clima-si-energie/zero-emisii/renewland/
Principles for developing Renewable Acceleration Areas:
