Coal is uncompetitive and this aspect was known when the previous energy sector legislation was drafted , in the early 2000s, says Iulian Iancu, chairman of the Industry and Services Commission from the Chamber of Deputies.
“This law has not been amended since 2012 until today. In Romania’s energy mix, the manufacturer that have the highest cost for energy production, ie those using coal – are required to operate under exclusive market conditions that have been established in 2000, wrongly in my opinion, because coal can never compete with hydropower, with natural gas or nuclear power – they were at a disadvantage from the start, sharing the production capacities on types of fuels, “said Iancu , quoted by Agerpres.
Now the producers “are given a chance, which is not a tremendous or huge advantage, that they are able to build their own mixed energy production, so that it can cope with a competitive price, ie to maintain its participation status in the competition platform. “
Thus, the amendments of the electricity Framework Law (123/2012), recently adopted by Parliament, does not provide an advantage for the producers based on coal, it corrects the discriminatory treatment to which they were subjected before, said Iancu.
One of the amendments gives the producers the right to conclude agreements with other manufacturers, creating an energy mix, in order to offer then the electricity on the domestic market or for export. According to par. 3 of art. 29, “electricity producers have the right to legalize agreements with other producers, creating an energy mix, in order to supply electricity to the domestic market or for export.”
Iancu explained that this aspect shall be performed also within the OPCOM exchange, so there will be no direct agreements concluded outside the centralized market.
A few days ago, Laurentiu Ciurel, former managing director of the Complex Energetic Oltenia, said, according to local media, that the parliamentarians of Gorj county, pushed in Parliament that these legislative changes will be adopted. According to Ciurel, Iulian Iancu would have pushed for this law to be adopted before the parliamentary recess.
Iancu denied that he put pressures.
“Upon our committee or upon me there wasn’t any pressure … I could not perform any pressure, because the law has come to us at the Commission, during the debate in plenary. We debated it as we discussed any law “, said Iancu.
The Association of Electricity Suppliers in Romania (AFEER) said in a release that enforcing the bill for amending and supplementing the Law on electricity and natural gas (123/2012) adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly and submitted to the Presidency for promulgation, can lead to serious damage caused to the market participants by creating conditions of unfair or erroneous interpretation and application.