Dragan (ME): We want to have over 10 GW of additional renewable capacity installed by 2030

Romania has started transforming its energy system in line with its targets and wants new renewable capacities, the target being that by 2030 we will have an additional 10 Gigawatts of renewable capacities installed, all technologies, said Dan Dragan, Secretary of State in the Ministry of Energy, on Monday.   He also added that the nuclear programme is to continue, namely Units 3 and 4 at Cernavoda and small modular reactors. "Here we have the essential support of our American partners, we are in close contact and we are working together to find all the sources of funding and also to implement these projects, with a target year of 2028 - 2029 for SMRs and 2031 for Units 3 - 4 at Cernavoda," the official said.   He also mentioned the gas in the Black Sea, namely a quantity of about eight billion mc injected in the transport network in the perspective of the year 2026 – 2027 and mentioned that the first steps have been taken for new, flexible capacities, for electricity generation with the use of natural gas. All these capacities together will surpass 3,500 MW and will ensure the flexibility of the system as they are placed in important areas to balance the production.As regards the transport of electricity, Dan Dragan reiterated that important contracts were signed for the construction of new transport capacities, new lines including interconnection.‘At this moment, over 460 km of new transport lines are financed with existing contracts, and by the end of the year we will the possibility to sign new contracts. The total value until this moment of the signed contract for Transelectrica, including new stations of 400 kilovolts, is over 430 million euro and we hope that the new investment committee of the Fund for Modernisation will approve projects of up to 150 million euro, including the connection between Suceava and Balti ( the Republic of Moldova – o.n.)’ Dragan said.Also, on the distribution side, projects worth more than 500 million lei have been signed so far for distribution companies and are still being analysed, with projects worth more than 1.5 billion lei being submitted. The total scheme is €1.3 billion.   The ME official recalled that the call for green hydrogen has been resumed and expressed the hope that within the next two months it will be closed and contracts signed.   At the same time, the contracts for storage capacities, a minimum of 200 megawatts, are being analysed and could be signed by the end of the year, and the PNRR also finances the production of batteries and the production and assembly of photovoltaic panels, with amounts of around 200 million euros.