This year, several joint energy management companies, or so-called “energy aggregators”, have appeared on the market, including VoltLink, a subsidiary of the Therme group. VoltLink obtained its aggregator license from ANRE in January 2025 and intends to manage production, consumption and storage for large operators, such as Therme, or other industrial operators, using the experience accumulated by the Austrian group. “The purpose of an Energy Aggregator platform is to streamline equipment operation and optimally integrate renewable sources, intelligently managing consumption, production and storage, for Therme and industrial consumers. Customers will operate under the umbrella of cumulative production, consumption and storage curves, optimizing costs and network stability,” says Viorel Beltechi, CEO of Therme Asia and Vice President for Energy and Engineering of Therme Group, manager of Voltlink, in an exclusive interview with Energynomics.
What do you think will be the evolution of prices after the re-liberalization on July 1? What effects will it have on prosumers, and in general, on the market?
Viorel Beltechi, CEO of Therme Asia and Vice President for Energy and Engineering of Therme Group, manager of Voltlink
After the re-liberalization on July 1, it is possible that prices will increase in the short term, but the option of their decrease over time cannot be ruled out. It is quite difficult to forecast and even more difficult to manage.
In this ongoing uncertainty, we urge consumers and large prosumers to take the initiative and define their own energy future. Although they cannot control price fluctuations, they can control their behavior in the market. How? There are several options. These include installing photovoltaic panels to reduce dependence on the National Electricity System, installing storage batteries to ‘move’ energy production and increase the percentage of self-consumption, installing storage batteries to ‘move’ consumption towards better prices. Also, dispatching and making consumer equipment more flexible in order to automatically ‘move’ consumption towards better prices or adjust it at the command of the TSO, signing supply contracts with dynamic tariffs and, last but not least, entering an Aggregator to become proactive players in all energy markets, including Balancing and System Services.
How do you see the evolution of storage in Romania?
The evolution of energy storage in Romania is still in its early stages, but with significant development potential, especially given the increasing requirements for integrating renewable sources into the grid. CAPEX costs have decreased considerably in recent years, making these technologies increasingly accessible for investment.
The BESS projects that we implement are designed and sized for diversified uses that will be integrated into the AGGREGATOR, we refer here to stand-alone projects as well as hybrid PV+BESS, PV+BESS+ Consumption (C&I+EV) projects. All these projects consider mixed uses such as: system services, time shifting, load shifting, peak shaving. The systems will be used distributed within the aggregator, which will give them a superior commercial value and obviously a much faster recovery of the investment. Fluctuations in energy prices on certain markets and fluctuations in certain tariffs (such as tariffs for system services) will have a reduced impact on BESS systems managed within the aggregator precisely through these capabilities to make their use more flexible. According to the transmission operator’s estimates, the storage capacities necessary to balance the system are limited. A decrease in tariffs for system services is also estimated over time. Given these aspects, it can be concluded that the BESS market in Romania, in this direction, will be limited. On the other hand, we believe that there will be a fairly long period of time in which BESS systems will develop in Romania, especially for the hybridization of photovoltaic and wind parks and especially for the hybridization of distributed energy consumption, directly at the point of consumption. We have BESS models already implemented and in the process of being implemented with commissioning by the end of 2025 for all these types of uses, and the economic models that we have designed show a very rapid recovery of investments. We are confident that many players on the energy market (existing and future IPPs) as well as consumers, suppliers will have the confidence to develop interesting storage projects.
What are the advantages of using an energy aggregator?
VoltLink was developed within Therme Group, integrating skills and technologies such as Energy Management System (EMS), SCADA, Plant Engineering, Cyber Security, to develop an Aggregator platform.
The purpose of an Energy Aggregator platform is to streamline equipment operation and optimally integrate renewable sources, intelligently managing consumption, production and storage, for Therme and industrial consumers. Customers will operate under the umbrella of cumulative production, consumption and storage curves, optimizing costs and network stability. Customer equipment is operated remotely, via SCADA, for real-time management of energy consumption and production.
Thus, we want to integrate producers, C&I consumers/prosumers and storage equipment into the energy markets, each becoming a proactive player.
We are currently developing and testing internally the energy optimization in the PV + Consumption + Storage mix, both in the Therme Bucharest complex and in the Guntner Jaeggi factories in Sibiu, members of the A-Heat technology group of which Therme Group is a part.
How do you see the development of geothermal energy in Romania going forward?
Technological advances are opening up new horizons for geothermal energy, offering promising prospects for transforming it into an attractive option for countries and companies around the world. These techniques include horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, perfected within the North American oil and gas industry. If geothermal energy can follow the example of success stories such as photovoltaic panels and wind power, it can become a cornerstone of the electricity and heating systems of the future, being a clean and available source of energy. Currently, geothermal energy covers less than 1% of global energy demand, and its use is concentrated in a few countries with easily accessible and high-quality resources, such as the United States, Iceland, Indonesia, Turkey, Kenya and Italy.
At the moment, the most widely used geothermal energy is the thermal energy recovered from geothermal water wells with a depth of between 2,000-3,000 m and a water temperature between 75C-90C. This energy is mainly used for heating systems: about 80% of the total current geothermal energy. Another percentage of about 20% of geothermal energy is used for electricity production. The system requires geothermal water to have temperatures higher than 130C for the electricity generation system to be effective.
The technologies that are developing rapidly in recent times, especially in the USA, Canada and the Nordic countries, involve the development of dry drilling at much greater depths, namely 6,000-7,000 m and the creation of “close loop” systems through which a thermal agent recovers the thermal energy stored in dry rocks. The temperatures obtained are superior, reaching over 150C. With such a resource, very good yields can be obtained for the generation of electricity in a combined cycle of the Heat&Power type. There are also tested technologies that develop a “hybrid” system of “combined heat&power” and energy storage in such a way that these systems can also be used for balancing services of electricity networks.
What was the solution adopted within the Therme project?
Therme redefined the concept of thermal bath, making it accessible to everyone and achieving everything to the most rigorous quality standards.
The geothermal drillings at Therme București have a dual purpose: to use geothermal waters with curative properties and to recover their heat to cover a large part of the thermal needs of the complex.
The geothermal water, rich in minerals, is exploited for its therapeutic benefits, being used in swimming pools and relaxation areas. In parallel, the heat contained in this water is recovered and integrated into the heating systems, reducing dependence on conventional energy sources and contributing to the operational sustainability of the complex. This process allows for increased energy efficiency, lowering costs and environmental impact.
Investments in geothermal drilling are extremely rare due to the high CAPEX costs associated with the actual drilling, the treatment of geothermal water and the efficient reuse of the extracted heat. In addition, the lack of continuity in use throughout the year makes many such projects difficult to sustain economically.
However, in the case of Therme Bucharest, the constant need for thermal energy, 365 days a year, gives the investment in geothermal a high viability. The permanent demand ensures an optimal yield and an efficient amortization of costs, making the project sustainable and profitable in the long term.
To develop this advanced concept of Wellbeing, Therme Group has developed in-house and through strategic partnerships, high capabilities, technologies and skills in the field.
In this sense, Therme Group’s projects globally are projects that comply with the international sustainability standards LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). For example, Therme Bucharest received the LEED Platinum certification, the highest level of the “green” certification system, a standard recognized globally as a symbol of excellence in the design, construction and operation of sustainable buildings.
The concern for sustainability has led to the development of specialized know-how in the technology and management of water, air, energy, construction materials, etc.
Energy consumption is an essential element in the functioning of the business, both from the point of view of energy efficiency and in terms of the integration of renewable energy in self-consumption.
