Ooni Koda
  1. Home
  2. /
  3. Newsfeed
  4. /
  5. Virgil Popescu: Romania can become a natural gas...

Virgil Popescu: Romania can become a natural gas hub, after Black Sea gas production starts

December 21, 2023

All conditions will be in place for Romania to become a natural gas hub once production in the Black Sea starts, Chairman of the Chamber of Deputies Committee on the Environment and Ecological Balance Virgil Popescu, a former energy minister, said on Monday."All conditions will be in place for Romania to become a natural gas hub and I am convinced that we will manage to be a natural gas hub once production in the Black Sea starts," Popescu told the Natural Gas Forum 2023 by Financial Intelligence.Regarding the hydrogen projects, Popescu said that Romania is at the beginning in terms of hydrogen production."We had a milestone in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) regarding the production of hydrogen. A call for projects has been resumed - I understand that it is currently being evaluated - in my opinion, hydrogen is the fuel of the future, it is a non-polluting fuel. Obviously, we still have a long way to go to get there, to use hydrogen on a large scale, but hydrogen production facilities have to be developed. In my conversations with Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania, Bulgaria about that electric power cable - and maybe you're wondering about this transition to electric energy, to this bridge between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea - we are talking about renewable energy, and the discussions were about producing hydrogen from this green energy and trying - after a feasibility study - to see what is more cost-effective: to bring renewable energy to Romania through that cable, to produce hydrogen here or to produce hydrogen, for example, in Georgia and transport that hydrogen across the Black Sea. As you can see, we are preparing in all ways, so that Romania may become an important node in European hydrogen production. I believe in hydrogen and I am convinced that Romania will manage to become an important node of hydrogen production and hydrogen transport in Europe," said Popescu.OMV Petrom and Romgaz announced this summer that they will invest up to EUR 4 billion in the development stage of the Neptun Deep project, which will generate a production of about 100 billion cubic metres of natural gas. OMV Petrom is the operator, with each of the companies holding a 50% stake in the project. The first production is estimated in 2027. The peak production is put at 8 billion cubic metres annually (about 140,000 boe/day), for about 10 years.  

Read in full - click here
UBM Feed Romania rebrands as Protena after East Grain, Poultry Investment become equal shareholders

East Grain Group and Poultry Investment SA have acquired the 45% stake previously held by UBM Group in UBM Feed Romania, thus becoming equal shareholders in one of Romania's largest feed producers, which will now operate under the brand Protena. East Grain is controlled by Czech agri-food group Agrofert, one of the largest agribusiness groups […]

Ruxandra Băndilă takes over as executive director of Foreign Investors Council

The Foreign Investors Council (FIC) has appointed Ruxandra Băndilă as its executive director. Băndilă will coordinate FIC's activity and "will contribute to strengthening the dialogue with authorities, consolidating the organization's positioning as a reliable partner in promoting a stable and predictable business environment, as well as supporting Romania's becoming a competitive and attractive destination for […]

Romanian minister notifies EPPO of misuse of EU funds in school bus project

Romania’s European projects and investments minister, Dragoș Pîslaru, announced that he will notify the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) regarding the purchase of electric minibuses for students with EU funds. The minister said that “multiple dysfunctions” were noted in how the EU funds were used in the project. Aside from notifying the EPPO, the minister […]

Employees in Romania are among the last globally in AI use, report shows

Only about 44% of employees in Romania say they have used AI in the past year, while the average usage rate in the 48 countries included in the report was 57%, according to the PwC Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey 2025 report. India and Vietnam are at the top, with 84%, followed by China (78%). […]

New EUR 45.5 mln Wyndham Garden hotel to open near Bucharest Airport in 2027

A new four-star hotel is set to rise next to Bucharest’s Henri Coandă International Airport, following a EUR 45.5 million investment announced by real estate developer D. GROUP. The Wyndham Garden Bucharest Airport Hotel, scheduled to open in July 2027, will introduce the Wyndham Garden brand to Romania for the first time. Located 150 metres […]

Romania to suffer Europe's 3rd-highest heatwave temperatures by 2100, study shows

Romania ranks 3rd in a European heatwave vulnerability ranking and will experience 3 heatwave events annually, lasting 17 cumulative days with average temperatures of 36.82°C, placing it ahead of all Mediterranean countries, according to new research from climate system experts at Reinders Corporation. The study analysed climate modelling data, heatwave frequency, and average temperatures across […]