Dacia and Ford have voluntarily halted production starting today, until August 19

Dacia and Ford will voluntarily halt production until August 19, resulting in energy savings of approximately 200 MW, Ilie Bolojan?Acting Prime Minister and Acting Minister of Energy?stated on Monday during a press conference at Victoria Palace."Evening hours are the peak-demand periods, and in the discussions I held today with major consumers, we agreed that each of them would take measures to voluntarily reduce consumption during these times, depending on their specific profiles and the technologies they operate; some can shut down operations during a specific window and restart easily without affecting their production process, whereas other companies cannot afford this and must maintain minimum consumption levels to ensure their facilities operate under normal conditions. One measure some companies have implemented recently involves scheduling maintenance and repairs; two major consumers?Dacia and Ford?have halted production starting today until the 19th [of August], resulting in savings of approximately 200 MW. Several other companies will also adopt this approach to achieve a voluntary reduction in energy consumption during evening hours," said Bolojan.According to the official, as of Monday morning, Romania's average energy consumption was 200 MW lower due to voluntary consumption reductions."I once again call upon citizens, companies, and public authorities to take voluntary measures to reduce consumption. I want to thank all Romanians and all companies that, in recent days?responding to the Government's requests and facing a reality beyond our control?have adopted these measures; the results are evident in the reduction of energy consumption during this period. For instance, compared to other times of day, consumption this morning was on average 200 MW lower, reflecting the actions taken by companies?specifically regarding voluntary consumption reduction. I also call upon local authorities and all public institutions to cut back on building-related activities and architectural lighting during evening hours, and?wherever remote management systems for street lighting are in place?to adjust light intensity so as to generate savings between 9:00 PM (when street lighting typically comes on) and 11:00 PM," stated the interim Minister of Energy.He added that, in the coming days, a Government Decision might be adopted as a supplementary measure, enabling large consumers to be notified 24 hours in advance that a specific consumption limit is being set for them."In the coming days, we will also adopt a Government Decision?provided for by law?to be implemented should we be unable to fully meet energy demand during evening hours through voluntary reductions; this decision establishes a consumption-limiting mechanism that can be activated via Transelectrica's National Energy Dispatch Center. This means that, with 24 hours' notice, large industrial consumers would be notified of consumption limits set based on their specific technologies and the National Energy System's capacity to meet total demand at those times. This is a contingency measure?a mechanism we are implementing in accordance with legal provisions?to ensure we can take coordinated action in the coming days, if necessary," emphasized Ilie Bolojan.