Romania’s draft plan envisages 27.9% target for renewables share in energy consumption in 2030

Romania’s draft National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP), to be sent to the European Commission, envisages a 27.9% share of renewable energy sources in energy consumption in 2030, compared to the EU’s 32% target, Romania-Insider.com has reported, citing Economica.net.

Romania’s renewables share in total energy consumption stood at 25% in 2016, according to Eurostat’s data. The overall energy consumption covers consumption of electricity and the consumption of energy for heating and cooling and for transportation.

Romania’s renewables share in the electricity segment is projected to rise from 41.6% in 2020 to 43.6% in 2025, and to decline to 39.6% in 2030. In the segment of heating and cooling, the renewables share is forecast to go up from 26.5% in 2020 to 29% in 2025 and 31.3% in 2030.

In the transportation segment, the EU has set a binding 14% target for each country, the report recalls, noting that the draft National Energy and Climate Plan envisages the national share to increase from 10% in 2020 to 12.5% in 2025 and 17.6% in 2030.

Meanwhile, the PATRES organization of employers in the renewables sector has expressed concern over the Romanian authorities’ decisions reflected by the draft National Energy and Climate Plan. PATRES proposes a renewables share of 35% in Romania by 2030.

Draft plan envisages EUR 22 billion in investments in the next 10 years

The draft plan, which Romania is to hand over the European Commission by the end of 2018, calls for EUR 22 billion in investments in power plants and the power grid in the next 10 years, ESIA SEE has reported, citing e-nergia.ro.

Of the EUR 22 billion, EUR 9 billion would be invested in the power grid, EUR 12 billion in power plants, and EUR 1 billion in steam boilers, according to the report, which notes that the investments, if realized, will lead to an increase in electricity prices higher than would be seen under the business-as-usual scenario.