PM Bolojan: We need to ensure energy security

Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan said that Romania needs to ensure its energy security as a strategic direction of action moving forward in order to have an economy based on sound foundations."We have to deal with things that mean development, which really means an economy on a sound basis, because without these conditions we cannot think about a good future for our country. And I would point out some strategic elements, which I believe we must take into account moving forward. We need to ensure our energy security. There is a shortage in production in Romania, and that is why we have to finish the hydropower plants that are at an advanced stage of completion and the thermal power plants where the works are lagging behind. (...) If we continue as we managed such projects in the past years, we will certainly not see new production facilities put into practice. Or, without these, without new facilities to provide us with constant energy in order to be able to compensate in the hours when there is a deficit, we will not have sufficient production and we cannot think, therefore, of a much lower price. The legislative simplifications that allow the completion of hydropower plants must be put into practice, so that their completion is not blocked. They are at very advanced stages, and we can no longer afford to stay in this situation," Bolojan told a Friday news conference at the Government House.He pointed out that supporting nuclear-power projects, mainly the Cernavoda area, is also a very important thing."Carrying out the design as soon as possible, in order to start works, is very important, so that in the coming years we have an energy mix that ca ensure competitive energy in Romania - not only constant, not only sufficient, but also at a good price. And the nuclear component is very important," Bolojan said.At the same time, in the short term, storage and pumping projects from large reservoirs must be supported, given that important projects in the photovoltaic field are underway, the prime minister added.The coal strategy is something that Romania must close in the immediate future, Bolojan added."On the one hand, because we have not met the decarbonisation milestone and we are at an advanced stage of negotiations with the European Commission to close this milestone. And we have only two strategic directions: either we try to maintain the coal production in the Jiu Valley area for longer - but that means a total restructuring of the Oltenia Energy Complex, so that it is no longer capped, so that it is no longer necessary to grant billions of lei annually in subsidies to make things work there; Or, if these things are not done, due to the very high costs, certainly, the second hypothesis is to give up coal production. I, personally, support the first option, but for this we can no longer continue as we have today," Bolojan said.He also mentioned the importance of preparing the economic sectors that, from 2027, can take over the additional gas to be extracted from the Black sea."It is very important to prepare the economic sectors that, from 2027, will take over the additional gas that will be extracted from the Black sea, so that we do not do what we do today with agricultural production - to export it unprocessed - but this gas, a good part of it, we have to capitalise on in our country, in companies that produce chemical fertilizers for agriculture, for petrochemicals, in the metallurgical area, in such a way as to highlight this important potential that means gas resources," Bolojan said.