Romania, in the energy field, is in an area of fantastic opportunity. First of all, we have access to extraordinary resources – gas, renewable resources (wind and solar) well above the European average. We have a reasonably good energy infrastructure, and we also have a very high capacity to act in terms of regulation, because we have a very high hydropower capacity, which can help us in this adjustment between the inconsistency of renewable energy production and consumption needs, which are for more energy in the band, said Corneliu Bodea, CEO of the Adrem group, present at the ZF Power Summit 2024.
“To turn opportunities into realities, we need a market that brings profit to investors. We have to look at what we do with consumption. We have to look at who will consume the energy produced, because we unfortunately ended up last year with a 7% reduction in electricity consumption, of which 5% is the decrease in industry. You invest, you produce, to sell energy. But who do you sell it to? You export it – it depends on the interconnection capacity. I think that the answer to this question about who will consume the energy produced lies in another transformation, electrification. Electrification, that is, the transfer from other forms of thermal energy to forms based on electricity, could be the answer. Romania should align investment plans, including funds, in electricity sources with the pace of the transfer and the opening of the transfer from thermal energy to electricity. Otherwise, we will do many projects, but we will have nowhere to consume.”
Other statements:
If we refer strictly to the National Integrated Plan in the field of Energy and Climate Change (PNIESC), which is under consultation, I would say that I am not satisfied with its content. It seems to me to be too large a collection of projects and strategic directions, which can bring confusion and uncertainty. I believe in vision, I believe that it can help us to carry out the fight against climate change in an efficient way, we need leadership. I think we lack a clear vision at the level of plans.
And I also believe in the market. We talk a lot about money, about European funds, the PNRR, the Modernization Fund, but we talk very little about the market. No matter how many funds we allocate, in order to have coherence and success, we need leadership, vision and the market. A fair market, in which investors understand where to get their money from and where to invest it in order to be successful, regardless of whether or not they use funds of any kind.
We have this nuclear know-how. I am more optimistic about SMR technology, small modular reactors, than about Units 3 and 4. I am more willing to believe that something could be done in the allotted timeframe, until 2030, in terms of SMRs.
As we get closer to 2030, we have to refine the targets, and the European Commission seems to have already started to refine the targets, there is talk of 2035. I think Romania must start doing this too.
Read the full article on ZF
