Romania could start importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Israel via Egypt in order to reduce its dependence on Russian gas, Romania's energy ministry said on Wednesday. "This morning we had a very good dialogue with the representatives of NewMed Energy, a Delek group company, which exploits the largest offshore gas field in Israel. We told them that we were interested in diversifying our supply sources and that we could import LNG from Israel via Egypt. We must seize all the opportunities to strengthen Romania's energy security," Romanian energy minister Virgil Popescu said in a press release. Delek Drilling changed its name to NewMed Energy earlier this year, and announced a strategic restructuring, deepening of the operating areas into alternative energy segments, including production of hydrogen, promotion of carbon capture and storage, and investment in renewable energy, as well as exploration for natural gas in new areas. Virgil Popescu and a delegation comprising CEOs of Romanian nuclear power plant operator Nuclearelectrica, hydropower producer Hidroelectrica and natural gas producer Romgaz visited Israel this week in order to secure cooperation in the energy sector. Popescu said in a post on social media on Wednesday that he also met with his Israeli counterpart Karine Elharrar, who said that Israel is determined to support Europe's efforts to reduce its dependence on Russian gas. The Romanian delegation also held talks with representatives of Israel's largest power supplier - Israel Electric Corporation, and renewable energy projects developer Doral-Energy. Earlier this month, Popescu said during a talk-show on local broadcaster Profit TV that Romania covers up to 28% of its natural gas needs with imports, most of them from Russia.
Romania was formally designated the 43rd country to join the US Visa Waiver Program (VWP) on Friday, January 10. According to the Romanian ambassador to Washington, Andrei Muraru, Romanian citizens will be able to travel to the US without the need for a visa starting March 31, 2025. "Romania becomes the first country in the […]
Cluj-Napoca, the city in Romania with some of the highest rents and a fast-growing IT industry, is closer to banning smoking in playgrounds and parks after mayor Emil Boc expressed his support for the measure. The mayor cited the prioritization of public health as the reason behind such a ban. He mentioned that he has […]
Romania's Sibiu County Emergency Clinical Hospital will receive a robotic system to prepare cytostatic drugs needed by cancer patients, along with other equipment, after the County Council obtained funds from the European Regional Development Fund. With an estimated value of EUR 1 million, the "Robotic Composition System for Sterile Preparations of Cytostatic Drugs" is among […]
Romania’s government adopted in its January 10 meeting a decision granting an extra day off to public sector employees at the beginning of May. Thus, Friday, May 2, will be an official day off for public sector workers, linking the legal holiday of May 1 (Labor Day) with the weekend (May 3-4). This...
The Ministry of Environment announced that 2024 was the hottest year in the history of Romania's meteorological records. Red alerts for heat waves began in June of 2024, with the longest consecutive periods of persistent and intense heat waves, six consecutive days, between July 13-18 and August 15-20. "The year 2024 is the hottest year...
Supporters of former presidential candidate Călin Georgescu gathered outside the Parliament Palace in Bucharest, which houses the Constitutional Court, on January 10, demanding a rerun of the second round of the presidential elections. The protest, dubbed "The Great Judicial Union," was initiated by Georgescu, who called on his supporters to challenge the election annulment, as […]
