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The aging energy infrastructure and the volatile prices of fossil fuels are part of the challenges Romania faces, said on Monday the Minister of Energy, Small and Medium Enterprises and Business Environment Andrei Gerea in a conference on energy issues.
“The Ministry of Energy is involved in drafting an energy strategy. We want the future to rely on a mix of complex energy: hydro, nuclear, coal, oil and gas, renewable energy. Our energy policy should be based on the concepts of security and of energy independence. Romania faces new challenges: the increase of energy dependence on countries outside the EU, the volatility of fossil fuel prices, the aging of the energy infrastructure – both power plants and networks – as well as the concern about the consequences of global warming. This means we need to make the transition to a low carbon emissions economy,” said Minister Gerea.
He said that the authorities want to ensure affordable energy prices and protect consumers.
“We envisage strategic investments in energy projects that can revitalize Romanian industry, such as Units 3 and 4 at Cernavoda nuclear power plant, the building of a power plant in Oltenia with a capacity of 600 MW, the re-launching of the energy production sector from coal and the modernization of mines and the development of interconnections with neighbouring countries, creating of conditions for the expansion of Romanian energy companies on foreign markets,” the minister said.
The National Regulatory Authority for Energy (ANRE) and the Regional Association of Energy Regulators (ERRA) are organizing, during October 5 to 7, in Bucharest, the fourteenth edition of the conference on ‘Investments and Regulation in the energy field’.
The building of reactors 3 and 4 at Cernavoda could begin in two years
The memorandum with the Chinese investors, the basis for the contract on the construction of reactors 3 and 4 at the nuclear plant Cernavoda, could be signed in November so that the construction works of the two units might begin within two years, said Andrei Gerea.
“We managed to reach an agreement and we will sign that memorandum, this is good. It is a very huge investment and one can hardly see such investments currently. We had to overcome some obstacles, the claims were high from both sides and there were obstacles deriving from the European legislation. It is important that we have overcome them this year,” said Gerea in a press conference.
He estimated that the construction works could begin in two years time.
Currently, only one company, China General Nuclear Power Corporation is in discussions with the Ministry of Energy for the development of this investment, estimated to EUR 6.4 billion.
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