Energy is a product of great economic, social and strategic value, an essential service for all countries, Radu Bădiţă, secretary general of the National Authority for Energy Regulation – ANRE, stressed in an interview with energynomics.ro. Therefore, ensuring access to energy and maintaining supplies safely and at the lowest possible cost are common objectives for all decision makers at national and regional level.
Dear Mr. Radu Bădiţă, regional cooperation depends essentially on the alignment of the national priorities identified by each state. What are these priorities that, in your view, could lead to a concerted action by the countries concerned?
Regional cooperation is an effective solution to energy supply crises. Strengthening cooperation among countries in our region helps increase their resilience in different markets, and the development of regional projects and initiatives is beneficial not only to the particular countries, but also to the entire European energy market.
Creating a regional energy market – as part of the European energy market – leads to greater stability and security not only in the energy field, but also from an economic and political standpoint, as well as from the point of view of the economic development of the region, which will create the necessary conditions for increased investment in the region.
Efforts made by our country are also part of this picture. Developing an energy development policy and strategy, active involvement in regional initiatives, strengthening the regional cooperation process, cooperation in the Black Sea area, efficient use of renewable sources, development of electricity and natural gas transmission networks are important priorities for Romania in order to achieve and maintain the energy supply in safe and affordable conditions.
What are the priorities of Romania’s that our country’s representatives promote within the numerous international cooperation formats?
The development of the Romanian energy sector is in direct relationship to the realization of strategic investment projects of national interest. These will bring about substance changes and new dynamics for the sector as a whole, and our country positioning in relation to them is based on the energy strategy.
From the perspective of the regulatory body, an important dimension of regional cooperation is represented by the projects for the development of cross-border infrastructure aimed at increasing interconnection capacity. In regards to the power sector, the projects with Serbia, the Republic of Moldova and Turkey continue in a strong cooperation with the power systems in the neighboring countries.
Among these projects I would mention the 400 kV double circuit Reşiţa (Romania) – Pancevo (Serbia) and the synchronous interconnection of the Moldovan system with the Continental Europe system. In both projects, Transelectrica plays an essential role. In relation to Turkey, the transport and system operators in Romania (Transelectrica) and Turkey (TEIAŞ) collaborate in the Black Sea Transmission Planning Project. It promotes regional cooperation of the Black Sea neighboring countries, coordinating databases and analyzes of stationary and dynamic regimes (using the PSS / E – Load Flow, Optimal Power Flow, Dynamics) modules, with joint training programs for all the power systems involved included.
In the natural gas sector, I mention the BRUA project, but also to the interconnection project of the national transmission system for natural gas (NTS) with the international natural gas pipeline T1 and the Isaccea reverse flow. After the completion of the Romania-Bulgaria interconnection (in 2017), the project foresees the creation of a transport corridor between the national systems in Greece, Bulgaria, Romania and Ukraine, as the workings on a new interconnection between Greece and Bulgaria are under way.
Last but not least, I would also like to mention the project concerning the development of the NTS in the North-Eastern part of Romania in order to improve the gas supply and to ensure the transport capacities to / from the Republic of Moldova. The project aims to provide the necessary pressure and transport capacity of 1.5 billion cubic meters per year through the interconnection point between the Romanian NTS and the transport system of the Republic of Moldova.
How does the authority address the issues related to the development of cooperative relations in regulatory activity?
The development of optimal relationships and effective communication with the European Union institutions through appropriate representation within the structures of the European energy working groups / workshops is one of the main issues within the cooperation activity carried out by ANRE.
As a full member of the Council of European Energy Regulators – CEER – and of the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators – ACER – ANRE participates, through its representatives, in the CEER General Assemblies, in ACER Working Groups and in the Council of Authorities (BoR) within ACER, when drafting the proposed documents for the CEER and ACER work plan. ANRE also has representatives in the Appeal Board of ACER – a body with responsibilities in resolving disputes at European level.
In order to intensify the cooperation and exchange of good practice in the field of energy, since 2016 ANRE has been a member of the French Regulatory Network for Energy Regulators – RegulaE.Fr, with 17 regulatory bodies involved.
At regional level, ANRE is a founding member of the Regional Energy Regulators Association – ERRA and one of the 15 signatories of the ERRA Constitution. It is also worth mentioning the developments in the European Commission’s initiative for connecting gas networks in Central and South-Eastern Europe (CESEC), where a number of important agreements on infrastructure and regional cooperation have been signed.
What are the steps to be taken so that Romania’s priorities can become part of concrete action plans at regional level?
International energy markets are in a dynamic and complex change on several dimensions: technological, climate, geopolitical and economic. The transformation of the economic context raises new trends in the development of society and its needs. New technologies and energy products reorient investment choices, confidence in energy processes, and the structure of the electro-energetic system.
Among the priority actions proposed by the European Energy Security Strategy there are:
- building a fully integrated internal energy market
- diversification of external supply sources and related infrastructure
- moderating energy demand and increasing energy production in the EU
- strengthening mechanisms to increase security, solidarity, trust between states, and to protect strategic / critical infrastructure
- coordinating national energy policies and sending a unified message in terms of energy diplomacy
Romania has to anticipate and position itself in regard to the trends on the international markets as well as on geopolitical changes that influence strategic partnerships. The national, European and global benchmarks, influencing and setting the policies and decisions in the energy field are to be defined in Romania’s energy strategy.
—————————————-
This interview firstly appeared in the printed edition of energynomics.ro Magazine, issued in December 2018.
In order to receive this issue of energynomics.ro Magazine, we encourage you to write us at office [at] energynomics.ro to include you in our distribution list. All previous editions are available HERE.
