Volker Raffel, E.ON: “A new distribution tariff is the key; it will not overcharge our customers but will unblock the functioning of the system”

“The lesson we can learn from the last two years – the period in which we saw numerous ordinances that were subsequently corrected – is that there must be a dialogue between the authorities and the private sector before the introduction of legislative changes with a significant impact on the energy industry,” Volker Raffel, CEO of E.ON Romania, said during SIREN 2023 organized by CNR-CME.

“When we talk about the reopening of the market, we must prepare the market before exposing our clients to this reopening. At this moment, there is no liquid electricity market, there is no liquid gas market. Before we expose the clients to the market, we need to prepare the market.

All the energy policies which are under operation right now foresee a capacity of 60-70 GW in 2050, which is 6 or 7 times more than Romania needs.

Today, each month we connect 1,000 prosumers. The whole electricity system is radically changing.

Each year we will see 700 MW new PV capacity installed in Romania, so we need to create the proper regulatory framework to invest accordingly. We must change the approach on the distribution grid not only in Romania, but also at European level.

We are witnessing the biggest investment challenge in distribution systems since electrification.

I am not ready to be blamed for not connecting prosumers in a sufficient manner after a year of tariff freeze and only getting back the money in a few years. I think a new distribution tariff is the key;  it will not overcharge our customers but will unblock the functioning of the system.”