The Ministry of Energy has officially notified the Capital City Hall regarding the proposed merger between Societatea Electrocentrale Bucureşti SA (ELCEN) and Compania Municipală Termoenergetica Bucureşti S.A., approved by the Government through a Memorandum.
“The Ministry of Energy has notified the General City Hall regarding the Memorandum approved during the Romanian Government meeting on 31.01.2024, which has as its theme: Realization of the public service of thermal energy supply in a centralized system (SACET), respectively the production, transport, distribution and supply of thermal energy in the Municipality of Bucharest, with a view to the optimal use of energy resources and in compliance with the norms of environmental protection, population health and sustainable development. In the context of the measures established in the second section of the recently approved Memorandum, the City Hall of the Municipality of Bucharest is requested to transmit a point of view to the Ministry of Energy. This should reflect the agreement in principle (non-binding) for the merger between Societatea Electrocentrale Bucureşti S.A. (ELCEN) and Compania Municipală Termoenergetica Bucureşti S.A. (C.M.T.E.B.),” says a press release of the Ministry of Energy quoted by Agerpres.
According to the cited source, the purpose of the merger is to ensure the creation of an integrated public heat energy supply service, operated through a centralized and integrated heat energy system (SACET) in the Municipality of Bucharest.
“Yesterday, more than 200,000 Bucharest residents, from almost 1,500 blocks, were left without heat and hot water. It is simply unacceptable. We are doing everything that depends on the Ministry of Energy to solve this problem, allocating money from the Modernization Fund both for the modernization of the CETs (thermal centrals – e.n.), as well as for the rehabilitation of the network. Two weeks ago, we already launched an appeal for over half a billion euros for investments in heating networks, with the allocation of funds on a first-come, first-served basis. Unfortunately, until today, the City Hall Bucharest has not submitted any project, although the problem is extremely serious. Equally serious is the fact that Termoenergetica, a company of the General City Hall, currently owes ELCEN, a company of the Ministry of Energy, approximately 800 million lei. I invite the mayor Nicusor Dan let’s find together a quick solution to the needs of the people of Bucharest. We must work as a team to ensure that the people of Bucharest live in 2024 at the standards of a European capital, benefiting from hot water and heat. The investment in the modernization of the thermal energy supply system is not only a technical necessity, but also a moral obligation towards the citizens of Bucharest,” adds the Minister of Energy, Sebastian Burduja.
The official mentioned that the optimal solution for Bucharest is the existence of a single company for the production, transport, distribution and supply of the thermal agent for hot water and heat.
“This way we will be able to reduce the maintenance bills of the citizens of Bucharest, so that the Gigacaloria is 400 lei as in Oradea, not 1,000 lei as in Bucharest today. It can be done until 2025, everything depends on the will of the Bucharest City Hall. The integrated system is the only solution sustainable to provide Bucharesters with heat and hot water in their homes, but it is also an opportunity to allow the General City Hall to increase its medium and long-term investment budget, to think and act strategically. I am waiting for Nicuşor Dan at the table to let’s put all the next steps on paper and find solutions,” also says Burduja
The Ministry of Energy specifies that, until now, the appeal made to the mayor of the Capital has not received any response.