Radio România Internațional

Tag: green energy

  • Romania and the transition to green energy

    Romania and the transition to green energy

     

    “Only with energy security, accessible energy for the economy and population and economic competitiveness can the decisive step be taken towards the next vital objective – obtaining clean, green energy”. The statement was made by Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu on the occasion of the Partnership for Transatlantic Energy and Climate Cooperation (P-TECC) Business Forum held in Bucharest, which was attended by representatives of the public and private sector from all over Europe and from the United States. “Our energy systems must be able to supply energy at any time and in conditions of internal or external stress to all consumers, anywhere” , the Romanian prime minister said. According to him, the diversification of energy sources and means of production is needed, and, in the context of the war in the neighboring Ukraine and the upcoming winter, immediate action is needed to support the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, all countries in the region with vulnerabilities. That is why, says the prime minister, Romania is improving its interconnection capacities with all countries in its vicinity, with Bulgaria and Greece, but also with Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia. The prime minister has also said that Bucharest invests in new capacities to obtain energy from renewable sources and aims to double its nuclear capacity. The goal, says Marcel Ciolacu, is to modernize the energy sector, to become more resistant to regional or global shocks.

     

    The Prime Minister also referred to the Neptun Deep gas exploration project in the Black Sea, which will double Romania’s gas production capacity and turn the country into the largest producer in the EU starting in 2027. He highlighted the support given to Romania by the US in strategic energy projects in the nuclear field, mentioning the construction of reactors 3 and 4 at the Cernavodă power plant, in the southeast. Moreover, during the Forum in Bucharest, a partnership was also signed between Nuclearelectrica and two American companies, a project through which a former coal-fueled power plant is transformed into a modern nuclear-electric power plant that will produce zero carbon dioxide emissions.

     

    “Romania is very committed to making the green transition in a pragmatic and feasible way, an example for the region and the world, and this means the use of gas in the short and medium term, but also of nuclear energy”, Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja said in turn. The mines and coal-fired power plants in Romania will continue to operate, the minister says, for at least a year and a half, because the country still needs conventional power plants, which have proven their importance especially in the context of the recent heat wave.

     

    The discussions in Bucharest these days focus on the future of energy throughout the world, but also on the development of the energy of the future, which should be safe, accessible and above all non-polluting, on the implementation of new sources of energy production, either thermal or electric and also on the cooperation between the European states and the US. (EE)

     

  • July 25, 2023 UPDATE

    July 25, 2023 UPDATE

    Security. The Bucharest authorities have announced that at the moment there is no direct military threat to Romanias national territory or territorial waters. The announcement was made after Russia had attacked with drones two Ukrainian ports on the Danube, Reni and Ismail, near the border with Romania. The Russian attack was strongly condemned by the President of Romania, the Prime Minister and the Speaker of the Senate.



    Finance. The ruling coalition in Bucharest has failed to reach an agreement on the package of fiscal measures to reduce the budget deficit. On Monday, coalition leaders approved a proposal set forth by Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu regarding the elimination of 200,000 vacancies in the public sector and one proposal by the Liberal leader Nicolae Ciucă regarding expenditure cuts in all ministries. Solutions to combating tax evasion and improving the collection of revenues to the state budget were also discussed. Among the proposals aimed at reducing the deficit and bringing more money to the budget are the increase in the minimum salary of construction workers, in parallel with the elimination of their exemption from the payment of the healthcare contribution, eliminating the reduced VAT rate of 5%, which currently applies to some products and services, the increase in the tax on dividends and a higher tax for small companies with a turnover of over 500,000 euros. According to the finance minister, Romania should have a budget deficit of maximum 5%, or it risks losing the European funds from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.



    Climate. No nation can tackle the global climate crisis alone, in isolation, said, on Tuesday, the Speaker of the Romanian Senate, Nicolae Ciucă. He participated, in Bucharest, in the ministerial meeting organized on the basis of the Agreement between the Governments of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania and Hungary regarding the Strategic Partnership in the field of green energy development and transport. In a post on Facebook, Nicolae Ciucă recalled that last December, as prime minister, he signed the agreement between the four countries for the construction of a cable under the Black Sea to transport green energy to Europe. At Tuesdays meeting of the Ministers of Energy from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania and Hungary, the steps for the implementation of this project were discussed, which, the Senate Speaker also said, will contribute to the transformation of Romania into a regional energy hub.



    Wildfires. The 130 Romanian firefighters who are helping put out the fires in Greece have worked very well together with their Greek colleagues and with firefighters from other countries, said on Tuesday, the head of the Department for Emergency Situations in Bucharest, Raed Arafat. The Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has voiced gratitude for the presence of Romanian firefighters in his country, while the Minister of Tourism, Olga Kefalogianni, sent a safety message regarding the situation of tourists on vacation in Greece. In Bucharest, the Ministry of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Tourism recommended Romanians who intend to travel to Greece to inform themselves, before departure, about the existing situation at their destination and to avoid traveling in areas where there are wildfires. For its part, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informs Romanian citizens who are transiting or are planning to travel to the Hellenic Republic that the local authorities decided to maintain, until July 27, the red code alert and the warnings for wildfires in the 4th and 5th degrees, on a scale from 1 to 5. The ministry also recommends to those who are in an area where a fire occurs to strictly comply with the instructions of the local authorities and stay informed.



    Swimming. Romanian swimmer David Popovici (18 years old) came in fourth in the final of the 200 m freestyle event on Tuesday, at the 2023 World Swimming Championships in Fukuoka (Japan). Popovici, reigning world champion in the 100 and 200 m freestyle, started from lane four and clearly dominated the first three lengths of the pool (150 m), but in the last 50 meters he inexplicably lost speed and finished only fourth with a time of 1min 44sec 90/100. Also in Fukuoka, David Popovici will compete in the 100 m freestyle, scheduled for July 26. The final will take place on the 27th of July. (MI)


  • The “Solar-Powered Green House” programme

    The “Solar-Powered Green House” programme


    The 2023 “Solar-Powered Green House Programme” has kicked off. Starting May 2, companies and contractors installing such alternative green energy systems can sign up. Procedures for natural or legal persons who want to secure the €4,000 subsidy from the state will then start. Environment Minister Tánczos Barna estimates the existing funds might be doubled, in which case nearly 150 thousand households are expected to install solar panels by the end of the year, provided there are enough specialized companies enrolled in the programme.




    “Companies that install photovoltaic panels can enroll. Starting May 16 they can submit funding applications for the first euro-region. We have divided the funding requests on separate periods, depending on euro-regions, to ease pressure on computer systems. If we manage to secure the approval of the European Commission, together with Minister for Investments and European Projects, Mr. Boloș, we may also double the budget of this program for this year and thus have 150 thousand systems installed in 2023”.




    Those who want to apply for funding in the 2023 phase of the programme need to provide evidence their household has the proper documentation with the Land Registry Office, that they have no payment obligations and that their ID address corresponds with the address mentioned in the application form. To apply for state subsidies, this year applicants can register directly, instead of resorting to specialized companies, in the computer application of the Environment Fund Administration. By installing solar panels that produce green energy, they can offset their own consumption and then deliver the surplus to the national grid. Beneficiaries can secure funding of up to 90% of the total value of eligible expenses, up to a maximum of €4,000, for the installation of a solar panels with a minimum power of 3 kW. The total budget stands at some €500 million which will be divided to 100,000 applicants. Whether they apply for state subsidies or choose to cover the entire expenses from their own pocket, Romanians are more and more interested in alternative sources of green energy and securing energy independence. After prices for electricity and natural gas went up, the demand for solar panels also reported a significant increase. (VP)