The energy transition is an irreversible process in which we take into account all the targets imposed by the European Commission, but we must also take into account the profile that Romania has, said, on Tuesday, at a specialized conference, the president of the National Regulatory Authority in the field Energy (ANRE), George Niculescu.
“The energy transition is an irreversible process. Once started, we cannot go back. We are in the middle of the energy transition, we are in a race to reach our ambitious targets. This is done in a plan that the Ministry of Energy has and even updates – the National Integrated Plan in the Field of Energy and Climate Change, which is an ambitious plan. We take into account all the targets imposed by the European Commission, but we must also take into account the profile that Romania has. Obviously we must take into account account of the natural gas deposits we have, this transition fuel that we will use to finance the energy transition. I think that all Romania’s efforts to reach its targets regarding renewable energy projects go ‘hand in hand’ , a solid base in terms of natural gas production,” said Niculescu.
He stated that the appetite for investments in the renewable field continues and only on Tuesday the Regulatory Committee approved the establishment authorizations for renewable energy capacities of approximately 130 megawatts.
“Also, taking into account the ambitions we have in the nuclear sector, only today in the Regulatory Committee we approved establishment authorizations for renewable energy capacities of approximately 130 megawatts. The appetite for investments in the renewable field continues. The intention of investors it shows that we are in the middle of the transition. In the programs carried out by the Ministry of Energy regarding the financing of the production of electricity from renewable sources, I understand that there are approximately 70-80 contracts already signed,” he claimed.
The President of ANRE is of the opinion that the distribution operators and the transport operator must keep up with the ongoing investments, and the consolidation of the networks should lead to the taking over of all the energy produced.
“The distribution operators and the transmission operator must keep up with these investments, so that the strengthening of the distribution networks and the transmission network can cope with the investments in the renewable field and be able to take over all the energy produced. All the distribution operators are preparing. They have submitted projects to the Ministry of Energy for the Modernization Fund, so that they can develop and strengthen their networks. I want to send an optimistic message from the regulatory authority’s point of view: we have no reason to put up barriers in the way of these investments. We are trying to adapt the regulatory framework so that from the moment an investor comes and makes the decision to invest to the moment the first megawatts/hour are delivered and fed into the network, it is as compressed as possible. Until after all, the interest of our country is to have as much installed power as possible, an amount of electricity produced in the most sustainable way and, from a financial point of view, for the final consumer, the domestic customer or the non-domestic customer. In my opinion, consumers must be put at the center of the energy system,” said the head of the regulatory authority.
The Oil and Gas Employers’ Federation (FPPG), under the high patronage of the Ministry of Energy, organizes the 6th edition of the event Romanian International Gas Conference – RIGC 2023, with the theme “Redefining security of supply. The potential of new technologies for a sustainable energy transition.”