Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja says that he will take all necessary measures, „no matter how difficult”, to achieve the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), both for reforms and for investments in the Romanian energy sector.
„As I promised, I returned to Brussels with a full agenda, which we are presenting to our European partners. We are discussing the PNRR, where we are making every effort so that Romania does not lose a single euro. This money is an indispensable resource for the projects we have, and we have the obligation to capitalize on it. We will take all necessary measures, no matter how difficult, to achieve this objective, both for reforms and for investments in the Romanian energy sector”, the energy minister wrote on Facebook on Monday evening.
He stated that he would request with clear arguments an extension of the transition period for coal-fired power plants, as this is a basic resource that „saved us in the difficult moments of recent years”.
„I am also addressing the situation in the energy sector head-on. As I promised, I am returning to our partners with clear arguments to obtain an extension of the transition period for coal-fired power plants. We have not accepted and will not accept closing any MW without putting an equivalent energy production resource in its place. Coal was the resource that saved us in the difficult moments of recent years and remains basic. We must have the necessary time to ensure a balanced transition, without economic and social shocks. The country’s energy security and jobs are at stake”, he pointed out.
Burduja also conveyed that the effort to extend the exploitation of the coal quarries and thermal power plants at the Oltenia Energy Complex began at the level of the Romanian Government over a year and a half ago, carrying out over ten working missions to Brussels for this purpose.
In his opinion, the mission remains particularly difficult and it is wise to have realistic expectations. „We need to obtain the European Commission’s agreement to adjust the PNRR, renegotiate the CEO’s restructuring plan, amend the decarbonization law,” Burduja also wrote.
He stressed that in the „complicated discussions of these days” in Brussels, he will not avoid the topic of Europe’s competitiveness, especially in the current regional and global context. „We need a new approach, solutions that ensure a balance between climate objectives and the need to remain competitive on the global market. We also need interconnections that allow the integrated functioning of the European energy market. The stronger the European economies are, the easier it is to achieve the objectives related to their own security. Strengthening Europe’s security cannot be done without resources, and resources come mainly from economic performance,” the minister of energy also wrote on Facebook.
AGERPRES
