Bogdan Tudorache
An analysis of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan conducted by Bankwatch Romania and Declic with the support of independent experts highlights the fact that PNRR finances only 3.4% of renewable energy investments undertaken by Romania until 2030.
Declic and Bankwatch sent to the European Commission and the Government of Romania the conclusions of the analysis which shows that only a quarter of the projects in the energy chapter that can be financed through PNRR are really green. The remaining 75% is investment in projects that contribute to climate change.
Consequently, environmental organizations are asking Brussels officials and the Romanian Executive to redirect funds to truly “green” energy, in line with the European Union’s climate targets.
“With these investment proposals, Romania will not achieve its emission reduction targets until 2030. The use of gas of any kind, either natural gas or hydrogen obtained from fossil fuels, to heat homes is one of the most inefficient, expensive and unsustainable methods to heat homes,” said Roxana Pencea-Brădățan, coordinator of Declic campaigns.
The major investments provided in the PNRR are towards fossil gas projects, although the Minister of European Funds, Cristian Ghinea, has publicly assumed the elimination of gas from the PNRR. Contrary to public statements, PNRR directs only 3.4% of funds to renewable investments undertaken by Romania by 2030.
Projects to which the Government distributes money do not reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the energy sector. Currently, this sector is the most important source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Romania, generating 66% of emissions. In fact, the Plan itself mentions that “under the conditions of the current energy mix, even with the targets in the National Climate Energy Plan (PNIESC), Romania will not reach its emission reduction targets for 2030”.
“Priority measures should focus on solutions that can be applied immediately and that generate real carbon savings, such as the energy efficiency of buildings, electricity from renewables and heating using electrification from renewable energy sources. On the other hand, obtaining hydrogen from fossil fuels is a false solution for the energy transition, and the use of hydrogen by household consumers is an option insufficiently explored and inefficient at present,” said Laura Nazare, Coordinator of the energy transition campaign with Bankwatch Romania.
Regarding coal, although the Plan estimates that it will be phased out by 2032, there are no financial allocations to replace it and support the communities affected by this process, although 10 of the 17.5 billion of the total European Just transition Fund will be granted through the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism.
