European Commission publishes Romania's National Integrated Energy, Climate Change Plan

  The European Commission has published Romania's National Integrated Energy and Climate Change Plan (PNIESC) for 2025 - 2040, Romania's Ministry of Energy announced on Friday in a press statement.Based on Romania's request, the document includes 89 additional policies and measures aimed at increasing the share of renewable energy sources, significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions and implementing innovative solutions in all economic sectors.Also, the "With Additional Measures" (WAM) scenario proposed in this plan provides for more ambitious targets than those previously set."The plan reflects our commitment to becoming climate neutral before 2045 and to contributing to a safer, more competitive and greener future for Romania and Europe (...) Romania is now among the countries in the European Union that have submitted a final version of a national energy and climate change plan. Thus, we are fulfilling an important European obligation and taking a decisive step in the fight against climate change, without compromising on the objectives of safe, accessible and competitive energy for all Romanians and the Romanian private sector. We have raised the standards and taken up ambitious targets, through a vision of sustainable development that integrates innovative technologies and massive investments in renewable energy," Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja is quoted as saying in the statement.He also mentioned the financing of new facilities for the production of energy from renewable sources."Green transition includes challenges, but also opportunities that we are condemned to take advantage of. In the area of clean energy production, Romania must develop the Romanian civil nuclear programme, with over 2,200MW in two new CANDU reactors at Cernavoda and the first six small reactor modules at Cernavoda. In the Black Sea, more than 3000MW of new wind power plants can be developed by 2032. We also finance over 10,000MW in onshore solar and wind farms from non-repayable funds and we have launched new initiatives in other future technologies (geothermal, biofuels, hydrogen, etc.). Moreover, we encourage prosumers, who have exceeded 2000MW of installed power, from less than 200MW a few years ago. Last but not least, we are investing unprecedented non-repayable funds in the storage and modernisation of electricity transmission and distribution system."Among the key objectives of the plan are reducing net GHG emissions by 85% by 2030, compared with the 1990 levels, and achieving climate neutrality before 2045, thus bringing forward the previous deadline set for 2050.In addition, by 2030, Romania aims for 38% of the gross final energy consumption to come from renewable sources, with the main drivers being wind, solar and biomass."It is also vital to develop industry and supply chains to support the green transition. From national recovery and resilience funds, we signed this week the first contract for the production of photovoltaic panels in Romania, and other contracts for the production of Romanian batteries for electricity storage are to follow."In September, Burduja said, regarding the new version of the plan, that "we must be careful when we take up targets in the environmental area, because there is a fine balance, and we do not want to jeopardy Romania's competitiveness."Consultations with public stockholders on the revision of the National Integrated Energy and Climate Change Plan took place between 15 February and 15 March 2024.