The new European financing includes unprecedented funds for Romania, and, after a period without investment of 8-10 years, green energy is becoming the star of investments in the energy sector in Romania, said George Niculescu, State Secretary at the Ministry of Energy.
“The Ministry of Energy supports these investments through funds, both from the PNRR and through the Modernization Fund,” said Niculescu.
The centralization of establishment authorizations for new green projects submitted to ANRE has reached 800 MW, at the level of 2022, he added.
He also said that the winter period was passed well, without supply problems.
“It was a period full of challenges, but at the end of the winter season, we see that prices are quite low. We didn’t have any kind of problems in terms of energy security, gas and electricity supply, during the cold season,” said George Niculescu, during the ZF Power Summit.
“We monitor very carefully through the winter command the unfavorable situations that may arise… There were no problems, despite the news and announcements from October-November, in which apocalyptic situations were predicted, both due to the warmer season, but also due to the efforts which we made, including at the Ministry of Energy, with Mr. Minister Popescu, to make sure that we get through this complicated period well,” he also said.
He said the main challenge of the period, also dominated by a border war, was tackling high energy and gas prices.
“The measures taken by the Government were ultra-discussed, we are talking about the emergency ordinances in terms of capping and compensation. Also, through the projects we are doing and those we are running, those that concern the interconnection, the diversification of supply sources and the routes through which we supply ourselves with natural gas(…), and I want to remind you that two weeks ago the national company Romgaz signed an agreement with Socar, in Baku, for the purchase of natural gas for the coming cold season. Another project I want to mention is the one related to the agreement signed on December 17 in Bucharest, at the Cotroceni Palace, a project that will help us reach our decarbonization targets through renewable energy produced in the Caspian Sea area, which will be transported on the territory of Georgia and through the Black Sea – it is a submarine cable. On February 24, we will have the second meeting of this steering committee. We hope to reach the feasibility study as soon as possible to see the profitability of this project,” added the Secretary of State.
