Two investment projects regarding the construction of natural gas pipelines in Romania were approved, on Thursday, in the Government meeting, at the proposal of the Ministry of Energy.

According to a press release of the competent ministry, quoted by Agerpres, the projects envisages the natural gas transport pipeline in the direction of Timişoara – Deta – Denta – Moravița localities, in Timiş county, which will cover the natural gas needs for domestic consumption and industrial of a number of at least 11 territorial administrative units. At the same time, both the socio-economic development of the mentioned areas and the protection of the environment and the forest fund by reducing wood consumption and reducing the use of highly polluting energy sources are expected.

“The completion of the project brings the following benefits: the possibility of natural gas supply to the area crossed by the pipeline; diversification of energy sources for the localities of Timiş County; reduction of emissions and support of energy production from renewable sources, by switching from the heating system with solid wood fuels, fuel oil, etc. to the natural gas-based heating system; the premises for reducing deforestation in the areas of protected natural areas, and not only; increasing the tourist and leisure potential of the area; increasing private investments in the field of tourism made in new accommodation capacities and in the modernization of the existing ones, generating an increase in the accommodation capacity and the number of tourists; the increase in investments in the industry,” the cited press release states.

Also, by the Decision to supplement HG no. 9/2019, the list of agricultural lands located in the outskirts of the city that are the object of the project of common interest in the field of natural gas “Black Sea shore Pipeline-Podișor (RO) for taking gas from the Black Sea” is completed, with the agricultural lands located in the outskirts of the administrative units – Ghimpați and Clejani territories, from Giurgiu county.

This project of common interest in the field of natural gas has the objectives of diversifying the sources of natural gas supply for consumers in Romania, reducing the degree of dependence on gas imports from Russia, transporting natural gas from the Black Sea to the Central European markets, developing a capacity of transport that will allow in the future the interconnection with the pipelines that will have as potential sources of supply the liquefied gases from the shore of the Black Sea (the AGRI Project), or the shale gas.

The Ministry of Energy specifies that for the completion of the project, the Construction Authorization no. 5/17.05.2018 was issued, which aims at the construction of a gas transport pipeline from the shore of the Black Sea, from where it will take over the natural gas extracted from the continental shelf and the Podișor Gas Compression Station.