This was stated by Energy Minister Bogdan Ivan on October 6. “These sanctions will nullify the effect of measures provided for by austerity packages 1 and 2,” the minister said. His words quoted by HotNews.ro.
The minister explained that Brussels officials resumed talks on the closure of coal-fired power plants a month ago, when the Romanian side presented a study conducted by Transelectrica. which included four scenarios. One of them clearly showed that without CE Oltenia, Romania risks facing a huge energy deficit.
“We will be in this situation if we close CE Oltenia’s thermal power plants on December 31. In a situation where I fail to convince them and we leave them, all the measures of packages 1 and 2 to limit budget expenditures and increase revenues will be nullified by a fine of at least 1 billion euros that we will pay to the European Commission for not meeting the restructuring targets,” Bogdan Ivan stated.
The publication reminds that the Oltenia energy complex received state aid of 2.6 billion euros to replace lignite-fired production facilities with new gas, solar and battery power plants. But Romania’s energy ministry says there is no risk of having to repay those funds. The ministry hopes to convince the European Commission to extend the life of CE Oltenia at least until the end of the coming winter, if not for a year.
Otherwise, energy shortages will force Romania to import electricity “at very high prices,” the minister said.
