Romania: No new coal-fired power plants

Published on 23. November 2020., SEE Energy News

Romanian Government abandoned the project of construction of new coal-fired power plant. According to CCE Bankwatch Network, Romanian Minister of Economy and Energy Virgil Popescu said in an interview that no new coal-fired power plant will be built in the country.

Since only one such facility was planned – the new 600 MW unit at TPP Rovinari, it looks like the Government decided to abandon the project. First proposed in 2012, it envisaged the construction of a new coal-fired unit through the cooperation of state-owned Energy Complex (EC) Oltenia and Chinese companies.

It was already speculated that the project has been cancelled due to its removal from Romania’s Energy Strategy, however, the Minister’s confirmation makes this decision definitive. The decision also reflects the acknowledgement of an increasing number of stakeholders in Romania, including Government officials and energy authorities, that coal is incompatible with climate goals and with the implementation of the Green Deal, as they seek to take advantage of generous European funding opportunities.

On the other hand, EC Oltenia is currently undergoing restructuring, with planned investments in renewable energy and natural gas-fired power plants. The company plans to build new or convert existing units to natural gas with combined installed capacity of 1.3 GW, with additional 700 MW in solar power plants.

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