The energy strategy and the National Energy and Climate Change Plan will be approved by the Government this month or in early April, Energy minister Virgil Popescu, said.

“The Energy Strategy is finalized, along with all the environmental agreements. It will be approved by the Government and sent to the Parliament, as we amended the law, and we have finalized the National Integrated Energy and Climate Change Plan, which will be approved by Government Decision and submitted to the European Commission. So we have practically the entire strategy for Romania’s energy development. We were delayed (in the adoption of the) National Energy Strategy because all the projects were put in it… some were still viable, others were no longer… some needed environmental permits and cross-border agreements from neighboring states and this practically blocked the Energy Strategy. We have taken these things out, we have rethought the whole Energy Strategy, starting as a strategy on axes, on directions of energy development, and together, in line with the National Integrated Plan for Energy and Climate Change will be in the next period in the Government, this month – at the beginning of April,” the Minister of Energy explained, as quoted by Agerpres.

According to him, the strategy includes “exactly the directions”: the renewable target of 30.7%, nuclear energy – units 3 and 4 and the refurbishment of unit 1, the transition, in stages, from coal to gas.

Virgil Popescu also specified that the Energy Strategy is valid until 2026.