Minister of Energy, Virgil Popescu: “We want to develop a National Hydrogen Strategy”

The main statements of the Minister of Energy, Virgil Popescu, during the ZF Power Summit:

– We are working on amendments to the Offsore Law. I hope that the new law will reach the parliament in this parliamentary session. We want the project to be supported by both the governing coalition and the parliamentarians

– Romgaz is currently negotiating the takeover of the 50% package from Exxon and to be a partner with OMV Petrom in the exploitation of the gases from the Neptun Deep perimeter in the Black Sea

– We want to develop the distribution network, as well as the gas transmission network. We asked for the involvement of state companies in the transition to renewable energies. Iernut was a total failure of the former Romgaz leadership. We must complete this investment by the end of 2021. It’s absolutely necessary. An independent contractor was needed from the beginning of the project

– Electrica should be much more active, it should be a more aggressive company in the market. It must also enter the natural gas market. They also have to make acquisitions in the renewable area

– The Energy Strategy will receive the approval of the Ministry of Environment probably this month. If the approval comes out in February, we send it to parliament in March and hope it will be adopted in this parliamentary session

– We are working on a team to draw up a National Hydrogen Strategy. We want to centralize all existing hydrogen projects to include them in the National Resilience Plan

– Hidroelectrica listing: this project is currently blocked in Parliament. We are waiting for it to be unblocked in this parliamentary session. I support the listing of Hidroelectrica on the stock exchange. Hidroelectrica needs capitalization, financing. In the field of energy, the state must maintain its strategic control in the companies it owns

– Romania needs investments in electricity production capacities and the digitization of distribution networks