Local authorities in Cluj-Napoca have prioritised public and alternative transport ahead of personal car use in an effort to reduce environmental impact. According to the deputy mayor of Cluj-Napoca, Dan Tarcea, 35% of greenhouse gas emissions come from buildings, 30% from cars and the rest from industry, although the latter is lower in terms of pollution and energy consumption.
“We have 41 electric buses and another 18 due to arrive this year. This will make 60% of the public transport fleet in the municipality electric, along with trams and trolleybuses. We want the entire fleet to be electric by 2028,” said the deputy mayor, at the conference “Digitalization and Energy Efficiency – Cluj-Napoca” organised by Energynomics and the Italian Chamber of Commerce for Romania – CCIpR. He added that with the commissioning of a metro train, cars “will be taken out of the city”.
In terms of energy production, the municipality has started to invest in photovoltaic production capacity, in particular in collaboration with the heating company. By 2031, it plans to attract 250 million euros for this purpose. However, Tarcea admitted that it is difficult to convince people to return to the centralised heating system.
“We need to explain to people why they should go back to the centralised system. I think digitisation could convince them,” he stressed.
Future plans of the local administration include the construction of a solar park on an area of five hectares that will provide 30% of the energy needed for public lighting. To speed up the process of reducing emissions, the local authorities have replaced more than 40% of the lighting fixtures in the municipality and plan to replace all of them in the coming years.
The city has also imposed the rule that any new building with more than six flats must be equipped with a block central heating system or be connected to the municipal heating supply.
“Each of us has an obligation to keep the environment as clean as possible and to see how we can be energy efficient by reducing consumption. It’s a team game, not an individual game,” the deputy mayor added.
The conference “Digitalization and Energy Efficiency – Cluj-Napoca” was organised by Energynomics and the Italian Chamber of Commerce for Romania – CCIpR, with the support of our partners: ADC, ABB, BCR, CRC Energy, Datacor, Eaton Electric, Elektra Renewable Support, EnergoBit, Exim Banca Românească, Fortza Solar, MET Energy Romania, Polytrade Global, Nofar, WALDEVAR Energy.