Renewable energy capacity tops EU targets

Romania’s green energy capabilities have reached the mandatory levels set by the European Commission for 2030, portal Nine o’Clock reported, adding that the new energy minister Victor Grigorescu pushes for yet bigger green energy quotas. Although two years ago it was believed that once the restrictions concerning green certificates trading come into force investments in this sector would drop, investments are in fact continuing to grow, the article said.

According to the information offered by Transelectrica SA, the capacity to produce electricity from renewable energy sources has reached a total installed level of 5.18 GW at the end of October. The system had wind parks of 3.19 GW, solar farms with a total capacity of 1.3 GW, small hydropower units of 583 MW and biomass projects with total power of 103 MW, according to Nineoclock.ro.

Grigorescu announced he asked the representatives of the Regulatory Authority for Energy (ANRE) to reanalyze the green certificates quota for next year, against the backdrop in which renewable energy producers claim the quota should rise, the report said. “Following talks with renewable energy industry representatives, they claim that there are elements for raising the quota. My goal is for us to have a new quota. This regulation should have been initiated much earlier,” the minister stated.

The situation with renewable energy does not depend solely on the quota, but also on the way in which the energy exchange works, energy minister Victor Grigorescu says.

The situation with renewable energy does not depend solely on the quota, but also on the way in which OPCOM (the energy exchange market) works and the green certificates are traded, and on the exemptions from the payment of certificates, Grigorescu added.

Asked whether the hiking of the green certificates quota would also lead to a hike in the consumers’ electricity bills, the minister stated that there should be a balance between the parties involved: “We need a balanced result. I am in favour of a well-balanced energy mix.”