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The closing of the coal capacities cannot be done without having at least the gas investments that we envisaged, Elena Popescu, with Ministry of Energy's General Directorate of Energy Policies and Green Deal, told a Monday's specialized event, told Agerpres.
"We are not completely replacing coal with gas. We have 1,300 MW and we are closing 4,950 MW by 2,030. So it is a totally unjustified comparison. What are we replacing? We are closing coal and replacing it with some gas capacities that can also play a back-up role to renewables, but there will be a large increase in the share of renewable energy sources. We are working on the hydrogen strategy. You may not know that in the PNRR there is this milestone: the development of the hydrogen strategy, which we have started working on. So, I can assure you that we are not so excluded from the European discourse. In fact, we are late with many investments. (...) We are still taking a margin of prudence to see how we pass this winter. And all the member states take it. The speech is in line with what is happening at the European level," said Elena Popescu at the EPG webinar - Report Launch: Coal Phase Out in Romania.
Regarding "the two investments" from the Oltenia Energy Complex (CEO), Elena Popescu emphasized that money was received from the Modernization Fund.
She gave assurances that these capacities are needed, they were included in the restructuring plan, "the reasoning was understood".
''We are aware that the gas infrastructure that we have included in the PNRR must also comply with certain technical standards. So, we are going in the direction that must and which is in the European regulations. But now let's also give up coal and gas, because neither coal is good, nor gas is good. We will have many who say: nuclear is not good either. We have to be realistic. Let's use what we have and comply with the decarbonization directions. So we are not going out of this decarbonization and emission reduction direction, but we have to use our indigenous resources, in this geopolitical context especially difficult. Only Transelectrica and those directly involved in the operation of the system realize the danger in which the energy system is", she added.
