Romania will publish a call for its first solar and wind power auctions within weeks, pending the green light from the government and the Modernisation Fund, Minister of Energy Sebastian Burduja estimated, https://balkangreenenergynews.com/ reports. He announced the ceiling prices in the bids for CfD market premiums would be EUR 91 per MWh and EUR 93 per MWh, respectively. Romania will be the first country to use the European Union’s Modernisation Fund to cover two-way contracts for difference (CfDs) with renewable electricity producers. The government received a green light last week from the European Commission for a EUR 3 billion state aid scheme for solar and wind power projects. Auction winners will be entitled to a guaranteed price for the electricity they sell for 15 years, Minister of Energy Sebastian Burduja noted. Under a CfD, the government pays the private operator the difference if the market price is lower than the price in its contract. When it’s the other way around, the utility returns the difference. It means predictability for encouraging strategic investments in Romania’s green transition, Burduja stressed. He vowed to make the competitive bidding process as competitive as possible. “Because a lower reference price will give a signal to the entire European market, and even beyond the European Union, that Romania is really attractive for investments in the energy sector, on the one hand, and on the other hand, it no longer exposes the state to a risk of paying more than would be the case in a comfortable time horizon for investors of 15 years,” Burduja stated. Hefty green energy subsidies crippled government finances a decade ago, so the renewables market collapsed and remained dormant for several years. The upcoming auctions are envisaged to be held for projects with an overall 1 GW in solar power and 1 GW in wind power capacity. Another 1.5 GW for each technology is planned for next year, bringing the combined quota to 5 GW. Burduja revealed that the ceiling, the maximum bidding prices, would be EUR 91 per MWh for photovoltaics and EUR 93 per MWh for wind farm projects. The levels were determined with consultants and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The minister said he expects final auction prices to be significantly lower. Last year Romania was a net electricity exporter, he underscored. It was the first time since 2018.
President Nicușor Dan has nominated Senate president Ilie Bolojan, a leader of the National Liberal Party (PNL) and former interim president, for the prime minister seat. Dan said Bolojan is “the best person to carry out the needed adjustments in the state administration.” He pointed to Bolojan’s track record with reducing spending, and said he has […]
Balkanik Festival – Home of World Music, set to take place at Uranus Garden between September 5 and September 7, lines up this year artists who "celebrate that form of joy that does not ignore reality, but faces it with beauty, energy, and solidarity," the organizers said. The artists performing in September in Bucharest will […]
The mayor of Timișoara, Dominic Fritz, announced on Friday, June 20, that two new bridges over the Bega River will be built in the city. The bridges will be financed with EU-backed funds worth over RON 130 million. The bridges in question are the Solventul Bridge, which will connect Gării Street to Dâmbovița Boulevard and […]
A Sarmatian necropolis nearly 2,000 years old was discovered after archaeological excavations were carried out at the Mehala II site in the municipality of Timișoara, in western Romania. Researchers discovered 15 inhumation graves, most arranged in rectangular pits with rounded corners, although some no longer retain their original outline, having been disturbed by the passage […]
The George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra will deliver on June 26 a concert marking Romania Day at the Osaka World Expo. Additionally, the Bucharest-based orchestra will present a series of other concerts and recitals, both within the Romanian Pavilion and outside, at Toyonara Hall in Osaka. The George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra's concerts will be conducted by […]
Sphera Franchise Group, the largest food service group in Romania, has opened its first Cioccolatitaliani store in the seaside resort of Riccione, in Italy’s Rimini tourist area. This marks the official launch of Sphera Group’s development plan for the premium Italian brand of coffee, gelato, and pastry. Under the plan, it will open four locations […]
