The government of Romania seeks to get the European Commission’s permit for keeping in operation several of the coal-fired power units that it promised to close by the end of this year. The gas-fired units and the PV parks envisaged to replace them have not been completed amid a lack of interest from the contractors invited to complete the projects, the Energy Ministry told Hotnews.ro.
In the absence of keeping in operation several coal-fired units and other units as a technical backup, increasing the risk of blackouts and leading to a 30% increase in energy prices, minister Bogdan Ivan explained.
Romania committed, through the National Resilience and Relaunch Plan (PNRR), to close several coal-fired units by January 1, 2026, in the context in which coal-fired energy is the most expensive and polluting.
To support the replacement of the coal-fired units, the European Commission approved a EUR 2.6 billion grant, most of which was received by the Oltenia Energy Complex – CEO coal and power complex.
However, most of the money was used by the CEO to pay for the CO2 certificates, but made little progress in developing the projects promised under PNRR: 8 photovoltaic parks, of approximately 700 MW, in Turceni, Rovinari, and Ișalnița, and gas-fired capacities, with a power of approximately 1,300 MW, in Turceni and Ișalnița.
“The National Power System has a major deficit of flexible capacities, necessary for the permanent balancing of the network. Renewable capacities, although with low marginal cost, are unpredictable and cannot ensure energy security at all times. In the absence of coal-fired groups, Romania is forced to import massively (up to 3,000 MW in certain intervals), at spot prices that have frequently exceeded EUR 400/MWh – significantly higher than the price required by CE Oltenia under bilateral contracts (around RON 600 / EUR 120 per MWh) until the end of 2025,” the Ministry of Energy said.
iulian@romania-insider.com
(Photo source: Johannes Mattern/Dreamstime.com)
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