Energy Minister Burduja: “We will ask EU for compensation for significant energy price differences”

“Romania will request compensation from the EU council of ministers, given that energy prices in Eastern Europe are significantly higher than in Western Europe.

Energy security is important, but fairness is just as important. We are in a European market where we respect all the regulations, the decarbonization calendar, etc., the support for the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, but when it comes to benefiting from prices similar or at least close to those in Western Europe or Central Europe, we are not in the same film at the moment and it is a subject that concerns me as well as the ministers from Bulgaria, Greece and others in the region. We will take steps to the European Commission to regulate this injustice,” Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja said during Green Energy Conference organized by The Diplomat-Bucharest.

“Romania needed a national energy strategy, 17 years after the previous strategy that was adopted. The new strategy is now being analyzed by the Ministry of the Environment, I hope it will be a correct analysis. We have made the decision not to include a list of projects.

We are convinced that we can avoid that environmental assessment which would be long, which would be the subject of some appeals.

Many of the challenges we face today result from the inability, slowness, ignorance of some investment needs. Investment 1 from PNRR amounts to 460 million euros, about 300 signed contracts, 1,900 MW of installed power if all the projects are carried out. I am convinced that most of the projects will be realized, there are grants, we have an ambitious calendar, most likely we will be able to extend it a little because the PNRR is until 2026.

We still have the Modernization Fund, 815 million euros, 400 million for production, 415 million for self-consumption. On the production side, we had a very high demand, we estimate there about 1,800 MW.

After a lot of work, we managed to finalize the contract scheme for the difference, we have a public calendar. The minister’s order was published in the Official Gazette, there are the auction rules. We want an auction as competitive as possible. We have also assumed a lower maximum price than the initial estimate, which reflects the actuality of the market at this moment. We will have another 5,000 MW through the CfD scheme, 1,500 MW this year, 3,500 MW next year.

We are going to launch the Electric Up 2 program soon, next week we will publish the guide in its final form, and the launch of the call is scheduled for October 1.

We can realistically think of another 8,000-10,000 MW by 2028-2030, plus 3,500 MW from other gas energy groups (Mintia, Isalnita, Turceni, modernized CETs, etc.).”