Bogdan Tudorache

The talks with Brussels are positive and the EC understood that Romania has its own gas and can enjoy a special treatment, told Energynomics, Niculae Havrileț, Secretary of State within the Ministry of Economy.

“In the case of Romania, they said it was a special case, because we have our gas. We can support the gas, but it should be included in some economically sustainable projects for a longer period of time – that is, if we keep doing it, let’s do something good,” said Havrileț.

“Let’s keep in mind that in a short time – 10-15 years is a short period of time – the gas will be replaced, and then everything we do must be high-performance investments based on gas. It should last about 30 years. They (EC) said that yes, we can, we have this opportunity, we have to use it, but to consider viable long-term projects, when we use gas,” he added.

However, will funding continue, in the context in which many international financial institutions no longer want to finance hydrocarbon projects?

“It will be financed, I think that in our case they will give us (financing), others would not obtain it, that want to import gas from Russia. They issued a statement (EC) that decarbonisation can also be done using gas as a transition fuel, but with great care, and to ensure that the technologies we propose are state-of-the-art, cost-effective, and so on – and from the point of view of the environmental opinion, to respect the DNH procedure (does not harm), to have not a very negative impact on the environment. It is a discussion at the EC to use gas carefully and not just depend on it. But I say let’s move on to renewables… Subsidies will also be given (for renewables). Let’s see how hard the renewables will enter the market,” Havrileț concluded.