Gas consumption in Romania has dropped significantly and it is obvious that the Romanian industry is no longer in its heyday, therefore the government has mandated both Romgaz and other companies in the portfolio of the Energy Ministry to work with and revitalize the large Romanian petrochemical plants, in order to really add value to gas, so that it isn't just used as cooking fuel, Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja said at the Palace of Parliament on Monday.

Romania is expected to double its gas production in 2027, following the implementation of the Neptun Deep project which, according to the minister, is perfectly on schedule. "We are already the largest gas producer in the European Union, we have surpassed the Netherlands, so in 2027 even more so we will be a great support for the entire region to reduce its dependence on Russian gas. (...) I would like to see a strategy for Romania's reindustrialization tackled at the level of the entire government, and things have started to move in this direction. Why not add value to this gas? Of course, gas consumption in Romania has decreased, so has power consumption. Of course, we have prosumers, with more than 2,000 MW of installed power, but regarding gas consumption, it is clear that the Romanian industry is no longer what it once used to be. Therefore we mandated Romgaz and other companies in the ministry's portfolio to look at this subject and, eventually, take over, contribute and reinvigorate the large Romanian petrochemical plants, enabling this consumption to add value to gas, not just burn it in the stove or gas heating plants," said the minister.

He gave assurances that winter preparations are "going well" for a normal cold season, the reservoirs' filling rate is satisfactory, at almost 70%, and the gas storage facilities are overfilled.

"The National Energy Dispatch, together with Hidroelectrica, had a prudent approach, because we are entering the winter after a very dry year, with a much lower hydropower output than in 2023, yet we are at a level that allows us to comfortably deal with the challenges of the cold season. Likewise, as far as gas supplies are concerned, we have a storage surplus, and we have also met the European target 70 days in advance. So, Romania is an example from this point of view too. We also have coal stocks (...) and of course, we further rely on the two reactors at Cernavoda. Reactor 1 is approaching its end of service. We are on the last lap with its refurbishment, the last and most important contract which we want to sign by the end of this year, but we still rely on all these capacities, and they have performed well all these years. As you probably know, there are 440 nuclear reactors worldwide, Unit 2 is on a top position, and Unit 1 is in the third place from the perspective of operational safety and efficiency," Burduja told the Focus Energetic conference "Challenges of winter 2024 - 2025 for the national energy system".

Also, the Energy minister mentioned the stage of several other energy projects. Thus, at the General Assembly meeting on November 14, Nuclearelectrica shareholders will vote to approve the contract for the construction of Cernavoda Units 3 and 4, which will be signed with the international consortium made of companies Fluor, Sargent & Lundy from the U.S., Canada's Atkins Realis, and Italy's Ansaldo. This consortium will bring the project to completion in the time horizon 2031 - 2032, so that Cernavoda's nuclear energy production will double in 2032.

At the Iernut thermal power plant, the first tests will be carried out in December, and the project will be completed in May next year at the latest.

Also, the environmental permit was issued on Monday for the Rastolita hydropower plant in Mures County, and the first tests might start somewhere around the end of the year.

Expropriation funds for the Pascani hydropower development project have been secured, so that works are slated for completion in 2026, mentioned Minister Burduja.

Under the contracts for the difference scheme - a NRRP milestone - the contracts for the first auction will be signed by the end of this year, and the Rovinari power bloc No. 5 will be commissioned in the coming days.

Sebastian Burduja also mentioned that at the meeting of the Modernization Fund Member States Committee on October 22, Romania got the okay for another 150 million euros to finance storage capacities in the energy system. AGERPRES (RO - author: Oana Tilica, editor: Andreea Marinescu; EN - editor: Simona Klodnischi)