All investments in clean energy will continue and we will absorb all available European money, but at the same time, the energy transition must be pragmatic and sustainable, and renegotiating the coal phase-out plan is a necessity for Romania’s energy security, Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja wrote on his Facebook page on Sunday.
“In recent days, I have noticed a series of public sentences, pronounced with proletarian anger by people who have no idea the difference between a watt and a volt. It is easy to manipulate on energy-related issues: the subject is as important for the daily lives of Romanians and for the competitiveness of Romanian companies as it is complex. The attacks demonstrate incompetence, but also panic in the face of our objectives and projects to secure Romania’s energy independence. It’s easy to see who we’ve upset, but rest assured, we’re going all the way. For almost two years, I’ve been saying something common sense. In the energy trilemma, the order of priorities is the same for Romania: secure energy, affordable and competitive energy, clean energy. This has nothing to do with developments in national or international politics, but with the common sense of a rational calculation. I have been and will remain consistent with this principle”, Burduja noted.
The Minister of Energy states that Romania will continue to invest massively in production capacities from renewable sources, because only in this way can a cleaner environment and “fair energy prices for all citizens” be achieved.
“Moreover, I am being attacked for being “against” the green transition. Nothing could be more false. We have attracted billions of euros in non-reimbursable funds for investments in solar and wind energy production, 10,000 new MW for the Romanian energy system. Last year we completed the first national scheme for contracts for the difference (1,000 MW wind and 500 MW solar), and this year we will complete the second similar scheme, for a triple capacity (3,500 MW). We continue to invest massively in renewable production capacities, because only in this way can we achieve a cleaner environment and fair energy prices for all citizens. Last year alone we put into operation new wind+solar production capacities of over 700 MW, twice as much as was put into operation in total from 2016 to 2023 (8 years!). And this year we expect to double this record”, he claims, according to Agerpres.
Sebastian Burduja listed the projects made for Romania’s green energy, namely: PNRR investment 1 – over 300 contracts signed for 1,800 new MW, new projects in progress, some completed and settled; PNRR investment 2 – call saved, contracts signed for the production of green hydrogen; PNRR investment 4 – contracts signed, projects in progress for storage batteries and Romanian battery and panel factories, so that we no longer import products from outside the EU with European money; Modernization Fund – 815 million euros for green energy production and self-consumption, projects under evaluation, over 2,500 MW; CFD schemes financed from the Modernization Fund (FM) – 3 billion euros, 5,000 MW solar and wind; FM – 700 million euros for solar parks in communities, beneficiaries public institutions; FM – call for battery storage, open until February 17, 150 million euros.
To all this is added the hydroelectric power plants unlocked after decades, also clean energy, the nuclear program, 2,200 new MW, contracts signed and projects “put on track”, but also investments in the transmission and distribution networks, etc.
“All investments in clean energy will continue and we will absorb all available European money. At the same time, the energy transition must be pragmatic and sustainable. Renegotiating the coal phase-out plan is a necessity for Romania’s energy security. Anyone who says otherwise must publicly demonstrate what Romania will do without 2,000 MW of grid-connected production from 2026, as decided by those who wrote the PNRR. The correct principle is to replace these groups with gas-fired groups, then with nuclear power plants. Truly, it is important for all of Europe to continue to rely on grid-connected production capacities that ensure the stability and security of the energy system. And if the Trump administration abandons climate goals, it does not mean that we have to do the same, but that if we do not change anything, we will lose even more of Europe’s competitiveness to the US, China, etc. Transition does not mean unconditional sacrifice, but building for the future. And we cannot build a truly strong green economy without having a stable foundation. This means investing in renewables, yes, but also a smart use of the resources we have: natural gas, nuclear energy and, temporarily, coal,” the minister explained.
He stressed that, under his mandate, the Ministry of Energy saved all the milestones and assured that it would do “everything possible” to fulfill them to the end.
“Regarding the PNRR, I will return separately to dispel misinformation. Under my mandate, the Ministry of Energy saved all the milestones and will do everything possible to fulfill them to the end,” Burduja said.