PM Ciuca voices conviction that Romania can become energy independent in five years

Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca said on Wednesday that, through the measures taken, the Government has the certainty that in no more than five years Romania can become energy independent.

"We have assumed and, above all, we have the opportunity that through the measures we take, through the investments we make, we become truly independent both in terms of energy and in terms of ensuring the gas resource. Concrete steps have been taken, we are certain that in a period of no more than five years we will be able to become truly independent from the point of view of energy. Here are two very important issues that all of our projects need to address. The first is the development of new electricity generation capacities and what is equally important - the development of the infrastructure for electricity transmission," said the head of the Executive at the Romanian Business Leaders Summit 2022.

As regards gas resources, the prime minister stressed the importance of the adoption of the Offshore Law by Parliament.

"As for the gas resources, today, (...) the Offshore Law will be approved in the Romanian Parliament. We will thus create the predictability and the possibility to proceed with the investments, both in the exploitation of offshore and onshore resources. In fact, the first project will start next month. It is about the investments made by Black Sea Oil & Gas in the Black Sea, and after yesterday's meeting, we are sure that at the end of June we will have the first gas molecule extracted from the Black Sea to enter the system. Of course, the others are to follow, which are related to investments, to a work period at the level of the two companies OMV - Petrom and Romgaz. Discussions and projects are already underway, so that, no later than the end of 2026, the beginning of 2027, we have the necessary gas resource both to ensure the independence necessary for the Romanian economy, for public consumption, and to be able to develop branches in the petrochemical industry and, why not, to export gas," the prime minister explained.

He also referred to projects aimed at developing the field of green energy.

"Because we are talking about green energy, it is very important to highlight the discussions that have taken place and the way in which the business environment comes with projects for the development of wind farms, photovoltaic parks. These are concrete elements that come to contribute substantially to the modernization and provision of green energy, energy from renewable sources, which for us, I tell you without any restraint, is a great degree of optimism, because we have seen a lot of concentration in this regard, a lot of dynamic.There are projects, there is this part of communication. And, above all, there exist both the money and the necessary framework to ensure that it can grow. The construction of digitized green islands for separate waste collection at the local level, along with integrated separate collection centers for large cities and waste recycling facilities are projects launched this year. Also, the urban mobility and the modernization of CFR [railway company] will complete the efforts of the Government to offer the perspectives of a green transport, of a modern transport," premier Ciuca maintained. AGERPRES