Radio România Internațional

Tag: Energy Market

  • Disruptions on the Romanian energy market

    Disruptions on the Romanian energy market

    With the first snow falling as early as November and hit by lower temperatures than in previous winters, Romania has suffered from a different kind of cold shiver this month when the miners from the Oltenia Energy Complex in the Jiu coal mining area went on strike. The miners were on strike for almost a week, unhappy with their low salaries. A group of the Rovinari thermal power plant was closed down following the diminution of the coal reserves before the local Gorj county court ruled that the strike was illegal and had to stop.



    The management of the company say the losses amounted to some 3.2 million euros a day. Overall, the national energy system produced less than was needed for consumption so Romania continued to import energy. After negotiations with the energy minister Anton Anton, the leaders of the striking miners obtained salary rises and holiday vouchers for all employees. The minister also promised that he would try to eliminate the 2% turnover tax for coal-based energy producing companies. The tense situation in the Jiu Valley was also discussed in the government’s Thursday meeting.



    The presentation of the coal stocks compared with last year, a detailed analysis of the miners’ incomes and working conditions and concrete solutions to modernise the Oltenia Energy Complex were some of the measures taken by prime minister Viorica Dancila.



    Moreover, the government’s control body will again be conducting checks at the site. Two similar checks done last year resulted in the involvement of the criminal investigation bodies. The prime minister also called on the institutions in the field of national security to investigate the speculations circulating on the energy market following the situation at Oltenia.



    Viorica Dancila: “The situation at the Oltenia Energy Complex was brought to our attention yesterday, with unacceptable and suspicious delay. This morning we requested information from all national security bodies about this extremely serious situation and the verification of the information circulating in the public space about purchases of energy from other countries at very high prices, so that we should know clearly if there is any connection between this deadlock and some people’s wish to make speculations at the expense of the Romanian people.”



    The price of electricity on the stock market has fluctuated dramatically in recent days, skyrocketing during the strike to reach one of the highest levels in Europe and dropping by 26% when the strike ended. The prime minister has promised to take the necessary decisions as soon as she receives all the data, so that the security and functioning of the national energy system should not be affected. (Translated by Bogdan Matei)

  • Romania and the integrated energy market

    Romania and the integrated energy market

    The future Romanian
    presidency of the Council of the European Union, in the first half of next
    year, will pay more attention to the energy sector, focusing on
    interconnectivity and a modern and reliable infrastructure, which are essential
    for achieving an integrated energy market. This is what the minister delegate
    for European affairs Victor Negrescu said in Brussels, where he attended the
    Romanian Energy Day international conference. He told Radio Romania’s reporters
    that the ultimate goal in adopting the package on energy union is to provide
    affordable, safe and durable energy for Europe and its citizens. Victor
    Negrescu:




    First and foremost,
    it’s important to discuss, at European level, the measures meant to ensure the
    energy security of member states and of their citizens. In practice, this means
    that we should make sure that citizens and national industries have access to
    viable, quality energy, at competitive prices. Along the same lines, the
    central and eastern European countries want certain measures to be passed at
    European level, meant to ensure equitable access to viable and safe energy
    sources in the long run.




    According to a
    Romanian Foreign Ministry press release, Romania is an important provider of
    energy security in the region and has the potential to strengthen this role in
    the future. The Romanian energy sector has the necessary resources and
    expertise to be able to contribute to the consolidation of Romania’s position
    among EU states and the Romanian authorities believe that energy security also
    depends on diversifying the energy sources. Victor Negrescu:




    Diversifying energy
    sources is necessary because it is critical to offer consumers the possibility
    to choose. In this sense, the fact that Romania is an energy provider at
    regional level means that Romania can become an alternative source for the
    states of the region. In order to do that, we need interconnectivity, we need
    to develop the infrastructure and we need projects such as BRUA or other
    similar projects. I also have in mind interconnection with the Moldovan system.
    We need to achieve all these in order to make sure that Europe diversifies its
    resources and taps into the existing energy potential in Europe or other
    potential partners.




    According to the
    Foreign Ministry’s press release, Romania supports the measures meant to
    consolidate European energy security, to reach the long-term objectives in the
    areas of energy and climate change and to set up an integrated and functional
    energy market.

  • Romania and the energy market

    Romania and the energy market

    We are impressed with the excellent results Romania has reported in the process of fulfilling the objectives of the Europe 2020 Strategy, aimed at reducing carbon gas emissions and stepping up energy efficiency and the share of renewable energy sources, European Commission Vice-president and Commissioner for Energy Union Maros Sefcovic said. The EU official appreciated Romanias contribution to inter-connecting the natural gas grids in Central and Eastern Europe. In another move, Bucharest authorities have announced European funds might be made available to modernize the natural gas infrastructure linking the Black Sea coast to western Romania. Energy Minister Andrei Gerea told Radio Romania that the EU was focusing on multiplying energy supplies and sources, explaining Bucharest could become the most important client of companies exploiting natural gas in the Black Sea.



    “We need to finalize the investments we have committed to carry through, namely the infrastructure for transporting gas from the Black Sea inland. In this respect we might benefit from the Commissions recent decision to include the pipeline linking the Black Sea coast to western Romania on its list of priority projects.



    In turn, US Ambassador to Bucharest Hans Klemm said, upon meeting the Romanian Energy Minister, that the US was closely monitoring Romanias efforts to achieve energy sustainability. Ambassador Klemm pointed out that Bucharests achievements regarding economic growth and the improvement of the business environment must be more visible at global level by adequately informing stakeholders. Minister Gerea called on the US ambassador to support investment opportunities in the Romanian energy sector.



    The Romanian Minister spelled out Romanias energy priorities, recalling the main natural gas projects, both in terms of production and concerning the transport infrastructure. Minister Gerea also referred to projects in the field of electricity and the stage of drafting the National Energy Strategy, whose next chapters will be made available for public debate over the coming period. The National Energy Strategy for the next 20 years, available on the website of the Ministry of Energy, reveals that Romania has the largest natural gas supplies in Central and Eastern Europe. According to the document, those supplies are due to deplete in approximately 14 years within the current production and consumption patterns.

  • Romania and the energy market

    Romania and the energy market

    We are impressed with the excellent results Romania has reported in the process of fulfilling the objectives of the Europe 2020 Strategy, aimed at reducing carbon gas emissions and stepping up energy efficiency and the share of renewable energy sources, European Commission Vice-president and Commissioner for Energy Union Maros Sefcovic said. The EU official appreciated Romanias contribution to inter-connecting the natural gas grids in Central and Eastern Europe. In another move, Bucharest authorities have announced European funds might be made available to modernize the natural gas infrastructure linking the Black Sea coast to western Romania. Energy Minister Andrei Gerea told Radio Romania that the EU was focusing on multiplying energy supplies and sources, explaining Bucharest could become the most important client of companies exploiting natural gas in the Black Sea.



    “We need to finalize the investments we have committed to carry through, namely the infrastructure for transporting gas from the Black Sea inland. In this respect we might benefit from the Commissions recent decision to include the pipeline linking the Black Sea coast to western Romania on its list of priority projects.



    In turn, US Ambassador to Bucharest Hans Klemm said, upon meeting the Romanian Energy Minister, that the US was closely monitoring Romanias efforts to achieve energy sustainability. Ambassador Klemm pointed out that Bucharests achievements regarding economic growth and the improvement of the business environment must be more visible at global level by adequately informing stakeholders. Minister Gerea called on the US ambassador to support investment opportunities in the Romanian energy sector.



    The Romanian Minister spelled out Romanias energy priorities, recalling the main natural gas projects, both in terms of production and concerning the transport infrastructure. Minister Gerea also referred to projects in the field of electricity and the stage of drafting the National Energy Strategy, whose next chapters will be made available for public debate over the coming period. The National Energy Strategy for the next 20 years, available on the website of the Ministry of Energy, reveals that Romania has the largest natural gas supplies in Central and Eastern Europe. According to the document, those supplies are due to deplete in approximately 14 years within the current production and consumption patterns.