Romania’s Energy Minister Bogdan Ivan spoke in an interview with Digi 24 television about the risks facing the country if it closes coal mines before the gas-fired power plants are built. Romania is negotiating with the European Commission to extend the operating life of coal-fired power plants, and the Commission’s response is expected in the coming days, Digi 24 reported, BTA reported.
Earlier this month, the Energy Minister said in another interview that the government was negotiating to postpone the closure of coal-fired power plants, as provided for in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The current deadline for decommissioning is the end of 2025, but Romania hopes to postpone it until 2030, Bogdan Ivan told Antena 3 television.
“I have shown very clearly how Romania can "It could reach energy poverty and even a blackout if it closes these plants, especially in the winter when we have no sun or wind energy; this could lead to Romania being blocked," the Minister of Energy told Digi 24, pointing out that negotiations with the European Commission are being conducted on the basis of these data.