The Ministry of Energy has set up a working group to update the draft of Romania’s Energy Strategy for the period 2017-2030 by mid-October, following that the document will contain a list with priority investments in the sector, such as reactors 3 and 4 from Cernavoda, the Tarniţa hydro power plant and a new group at Complexul Energetic Oltenia, said Andrei Maioreanu, secretary of state at the Ministry of Energy.
“At present, Romania has an energy strategy approved in 2007, covering the period 2007-2020. In 2016, the Ministry of Energy, then led by a technocrat, drew up a draft strategy, taking into account the new conditions for market development and technology and the commitments at the European Union level. This project was endorsed by the Technical and Economic Council of the Ministry of Energy and was submitted to the Ministry of Environment for the environmental opinion”, said Maioreanu, quoted by Agerpres.
According to him, the ministry intends to update the project in line with the governance program, and, at the end of July, the minister, Toma Petcu, issued an order to set up a working group in this regard.
“This group consists of the three secretaries of state from the ministry, as well as representatives of ANRE, ANRM, Hidroelectrica, Nuclearelectrica, the two energy complexes, Transelectrica, the Romanian National Committee of the World Energy Council, as well as the Romanian Academy. The first meeting of the working group took place on Thursday, August 31st”, said Maioreanu, who is also the coordinator of the working group.
The ministry official also pointed out that the objective is to update the strategy by mid-October, following that the draft will be debated and approved by parliamentary procedure after the amendment to the Energy Law, which in its current form stipulates that the energy strategy is adopted by Government decision.
“The approval through parliamentary procedure means added value. The political parties, the companies, the trade unions, the academic environment, will be consulted”, said Maioreanu.
According to him, updating the strategy was necessary, as the existing project took into account mainly the objectives expressed at the level of the European Union and less the objectives of the Romanian energy system.
“The existing project does not reflect a desire to develop the field, but rather focuses on preserving and restricting the field of activity. Also it does not provide a list of new investments at national level. The project presents inexact, incomplete and incoherent current situations, such as the state of the primary energy reserves, for example lignite or coal. Specifically, situations without a very clear analysis being performed have been mentioned. Therewith the project does not show the technical state of the production and transport system of all the forms of energy. There are two very important objectives missing, that we propose: increasing Romania’s energy contribution on the regional and European markets by capitalizing the national primary resources and ensuring access to electricity and heat for all consumers. In this regard we must continue the electrification program and to develop and increase the cost efficiency of the thermal systems”, stressed out the Secretary of State.
He argued that Romania can fulfill the assumed conditions by the European Union through its own energy mix.
“The new draft strategy will be based on these objectives: energy security, energy efficiency improvement, investments, environmental protection. We must prioritize what we propose as investments and there will be a list of very important investment objectives. For example the 3 and 4 reactors in Cernavoda, the Tarniţa hydro power plant and the 600 MW group in Rovinari – surely these objectives of national interest will be found in the energy strategy, going with the analysis until the clear identification of the financing sources”, continued Maioreanu.
At the same time, the strategy will take into account the individual investment programs of each company.
“Romania is already known and recognized as an energy security provider in the region. We are doing nothing but consolidating this position.” The government’s concern is that this strategy will be implemented as soon as possible”, said Andrei Maioreanu.