In spite of the European Union’s insistence on moving to a 35% target for renewable energy and energy efficiency in 2030, Romania proposes only 30% without an intermediate target.
Moving towards digitalization, decarbonization and decentralization should increase national targets, experts say at the 14th edition of the FOREN Regional Forum, organized by CNR-CME.
“This triad, decarbonization, decentralization and digitalization, is a synthesis of what is desired in the field of electricity. Everything that happens places the consumer in the center of energy,” says AFEER president, Ion Lungu.
Extremely ambitious European emissions targets, switching to preponderant electric transport and the need for storage will all create problems for distributors and suppliers in the medium term, and Romania is no exception.
Switching to cutting-edge technologies such as Blockchain, which allows data transfers and anonymous, secure and non-arbitrary direct data transactions, could bring a total change in our paradigm, including in terms of energy trading.
The share of electricity in transport is estimated to increase from 1% a year ago to 29% in a pessimistic scenario and 63% in an optimistic outlook until 2050, says Lungu, citing the latest Eurelectric statistics launched last week.
At the same time, prosumers will be able to sell energy in the network, something stimulated both by the Chamber of Deputies Industry Commission and voiced by the Energy Minister, Anton Anton.
However, complexity of transactions will have to lead to digitalization, Blockchain and other secure technologies.
Blockchain can fundamentally change entire industries, and energy is considered the fourth industry to be seriously modified by new, easy-to-follow, anonymous and secure global block network. Energy trading will also be affected.
“Blockchain will allow people to trade energy directly between them,” says Daniel Pintilie, director, AFEER.
“Intermediaries will disappear, [this] will help TSOs and prosumers work in an integrated way,” Pintilie comments. “There will be a new way to use energy.”
How prepared are the Romanian managers to invest in such technologies? In the short term, only 37%, says Lungu, quoting a recent poll.
One thing is certain: digitalization and Blockchain, will bring about a “radical change in how we produce and use energy,” Pintilie concluded.
