The Mintia power plant is the most important investment that will join the national energy system; it is conducted by a private investor, but with the full cooperation of national gas transmission company Transgaz as far as interconnection is concerned, and of the regulatory bodies to facilitate its completion, Secretary of State with the Energy Ministry Cristian Busoi told a specialist event.
"Regarding baseload energy, there are significant investment projects underway carried out by both private companies and companies where the Energy Ministry has a significant say. The most significant upcoming addition to Romania's national energy system is the Mintia power plant. Although privately funded, the project benefits from strong institutional support - including Transgaz for interconnections, gas suppliers for operational fuel, and the regulatory bodies for the completion of the investment, testing, and final authorization. Also, the Romgaz management has taken important and concrete steps to see how we are to complete the Iernut power plant. The project there suffered a major setback due to the insolvency of its general contractor, Duro Felguera. However, legal avenues are available to resolve the situation. These would be the major baseload capacity investments for next year," Busoi said at the presentation the fifth edition of the Energy Security Barometer.
According to him, it remains to be seen to what extent the large hydropower projects can also be unblocked.
"The change in legislation will bring a plus in this direction. We have the major nuclear energy projects. At the end of next year, Reactor 1 will be shut down for a two-year refurbishment process at Cernavoda 1. Once completed, it will operate for an extended lifespan, contributing to electricity generation, decarbonization goals, and energy security - all at stable prices in the years ahead. We are also advancing with Units 3 and 4. I recently met with representatives of Candu, which leads the consortium overseeing the project. A cost estimate is expected by year's end. These new units are projected to become operational after 2030. In parallel, and as a European first, the Doicesti SMR project - developed in partnership with the United States using NuScale technology - is moving forward, with a final investment decision likely at the beginning of next year. These investments in nuclear energy will add an extremely important capacity in the medium-term, not immediately, that will make Romania a regional energy hub and an exporter of electricity for the countries in the region," added the Secretary of State.
He also underscored that Romania has not been importing gas from Russia for a long time, even before the aggression against Ukraine.
"Our production covers our domestic consumption and, with the Neptun Deep project, not only will we cover the projects that will come into operation next year, Mintia and Iernut, but we will also be able to export natural gas to the region and act as a provider of energy security for the region and for the entire European Union," added Busoi.
The fifth edition of the Energy Security Barometer, a document that looks at the way the population perceives some of the important themes related to public policies in the energy field, was presented on Tuesday at an event attended by representatives of the central public administration and energy policy experts.
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