Bucharest, July 1 /Agerpres/ - The Local Council of the city of central Sfantu Gheorghe on Wednesday approved the award of a 4-ha plot of land for the construction of a solar park. The total value of the investment is put at RON 45 million (more than 10 million euros) and the local authorities will attempt to raise one third of the amount under the Regional Operational Programme, the renewable resources component. The electricity to be generated by the future sun station, designed for a 2.4-MW capacity and a nominal power of 2.2MW, will be used to provide public lighting for the city and the own consumption of some bodies under the authority of the Local Council. The sun panels could meet 85 percent of the electricity demand of the city, and that would mean important savings for the local budget.
CEZ begins construction works at Cogealac wind park
ROMANIAN ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTS, July 5, 2010. The Czech energy group CEZ has launched construction works to build a wind farm in Cogealac (southeastern Romania), after having already completed the installation of 115 wind turbines in a park based in Fantanele, in the same region, Ziarul financiar daily reads on June 30. There will be a total of 240 wind turbines mounted at the end of the works in the two localities, with an installed capacity of 600 MW, almost as a nuclear reactor of the Cernavoda plant (southeastern Romania). The wind turbines of the Fantanele park started in June feeding electricity from renewable sources into Romania's national electricity grid. The project using renewable energy sources is the first of such size in Romania. “The Fantanele wind park located about 50 km far from Constanta (Romanian Black Sea port), is currently connected to the national electricity grid managed by Transelectrica. Five wind turbines have already put out electricity, and others are to set off, during the coming months,” the Saptamana financiara daily reads citing the release by the US Continental Wind Partners (CWP), the park's manager The Czech Group's total investment in the Dobrogea-based wind park amounts to 1.1 billion euros for a 600 MW capacity, which represent the electricity needed by about 700,000 farms. The wind park at Fantanele will be the biggest land investment of this sort in Europe. CEZ has financed the project, while companies such as EnergoBit, Viarom, GE Wind Energy, Areva and Emon have provided the building assistance and the equipment. Besides the wind power project worth 1.1 billion euros to be completed in Fantanele and Cogealac, CEZ also plans to build a 400 MW gas power station in Galati (eastern Romania), in partnership with the Romanian State, to be represented by Termoelectrica. Moreover, CEZ plans to actively get involved in the construction of reactors 3 and 4 of the Cernavoda nuclear power plant, a project valued at four billion euros, awaiting a signal from the Romanian authorities to begin legal proceedings to this effects.
First regional renewable energy cluster in Sfantu Gheorghe
Agerpres, Romanian Economic Highlights, June 28. The first regional cluster in renewable energy studies was set up in Sfantu Gheorghe (northwest of Bucharest) to support and develop the field. The project’s main goal is to streamline the cooperation among the renewable energy companies and their cooperation with the local authorities, education, research and innovation institutions, said the manager of the Association of the Small and Medium Size Enterprises (ASIMCOV) in CovasnaCounty (central) Vajda Lajos. It is worth mentioning partners such as the Green Energy Association of Covasna County that plans to expand the willow (Salix) growing, to use it as a bio-fuel instead of wood and methane gas. This is the second cluster built at the level of the Center region, after that for the wood founded in Sfantu Gheorghe, in April. “Economically speaking, a cluster is a network of manufacturers, suppliers, research institutions, like universities for instance, services suppliers and other institutions, whose activity is focused on the same sector and that are is nearby located. The network’s members cooperate along a chain of values such as car or furniture manufacture and they share the same interests,” Vajda stressed. According to him, there are a lot of successful clusters throughout the world, like the Silicon Valley in California that became a reference point in the computer industry or Hollywood in the film industry. ASIMCOV director plastically explained that “a cluster can be compared to a bunch of grapes,” pointing out that clusters are planned to be also set up in other activity fields, in Sfantu Gheorghe, in the future.
Romania takes part in meeting on adoption of EU Energy strategy until 2020
Agerpres, Romanian Economic Highlights, June 7. Energy policy goals for Europe 2020 Strategy must include development of infrastructure and creation of an energy system based on low carbon emissions, with recognition for the nuclear sector contribution, according to the statement of Minister of Economy, Trade and Business Environment Adriean Videanu, given on the occasion of the European Union Council on energy issues in Brussels. According to a MECMA release, the Romanian official added that the strategy goals must include the efficient valuing of EU indigenous resources, given that electricity production based on coal will continue to hold an important weight in Romania's energy mix. Adriean Videanu took part on May 31 in the meeting of the EU Council on energy issues in Brussels, the ministers from the member countries adopting the Council's conclusions called "Towards a new energy strategy for Europe 2011-2020". Minister Videanu drew attention upon the importance of inclusion, when defining the strategy goals, of a foreign dimension of the cooperation in the energy field, this representing an essential component of securing the energy security and of consolidation of EU competitiveness. As regards the energy infrastructure, Minister Adriean Videanu underlined that the recent project initiated by Romania for the achievement of Azerbaijan - Georgia - Romania Inter-connector (AGRI) plays an important role in the attainment of this joint objective for Romania and the European Union - of diversification of the energy supply sources and considered it is important, in this context, its inclusion in the Southern Corridor.
Highest wind power park: in LotruluiMountains at 2,000 m altitude
Agerpres, Romanian Economic Highlights, June 7. A wind power park, which will comprise between 60 and 100 wind turbines, will be built by a Spanish company in the LotruluiMountains at the height of 2,000 metres, desk officer with the Valcea Territorial Inspectorate for Forest and Hunting Administration Mihai Pleseanu told Agerpres. "This is an ambitious project, a cooperation between a company in Bucharest and a company in Spain. The project itself was initiated one year ago when installations for anemometric measurements were put in place. Work will start in August, meaning that 60 to 100 wind turbines will be mounted at an average altitude of 2,000 metres, between the Repezi Peak (1,800 m) and the Fratosteanu Peak (2,100 m) in the Lotrului Mountains, in the area of Malaia," said Pleseanu. According to him, each turbine is worth roughly 2 million euros and has a 1.5 MW average power and it will be the wind power park located at the highest altitude in Romania.
Competition for Black Sea oil resources
Agerpres, Romanian Economic Highlights, May 25. Big oil companies are interested in winning the concession of several perimeters in the Black Sea, some of them located on the territory won by Romania at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, in a court file against Ukraine, daily Bursa reports. The submission of bids opened on May 20, and the evaluation of bids lasts nearly a month. Sources with the companies participating in the tender say that the greatest competition is for the Black Sea offshore. The offshore area includes Razelm, Navodari, Agigea, Aurora, Mangalia, Luceafarul, Sf. Gheorghe, Muridava, Cobalcescu, Est-Rapsodia and Trident. The participants in the tender organized by the National Agency for Mineral Resources (ANRM) include companies such as Exxon, Repsol, Lukoil, Petrom, Romgaz, Rompetrol or Total, the sources also said. MOL participates in the tender as well, in association with a Romanian company, but for a perimeter located on shore, according to the paper's sources. For certain perimeters on the Black Sea continental shelf, Petrom associated with Romgaz and Exxon. The companies will take the relevant offshore areas under lease for 35 years and they will have to make investments of hundreds of millions of euros in order to be able to commercially exploit the oil and gas resources, Bursa notes. Romania's oil and gas resources in the Black Sea became once again interesting to the oil companies after Romania won sovereign jurisdiction and rights over a continental shelf area and an exclusive economic area of 9,700 square metres at the International Court of Justice in Hague, two years ago. It is estimated that there are roughly 70 billion cubic meters of gas and of 12 million tonnes of oil in this area, according to Bogdan Aurescu who was Romania's Government Agent in The Hague, Bursa says.
Electrica company ventures into wind power business
Electrica is the only state-run company heading towards the completion of a wind farm, whereas investments worth up to one billion euros in "wind mills" are expected this year, Ziarul financiar daily reads. The rest of the state-owned companies, such as Hidroelectrica and Romgaz, have voiced no concrete intentions so far to invest in this field that proved attractive to the world's energy giants and to local companies. "We have not lost interest in this field, but we have other priorities at the moment," the above-mentioned newspaper quotes Mihai David, general manager of Hidroelectrica, as saying. The Romgaz company, too, says it intends to enter the electrical power producers' market, but deems it too early to talk about plans. Meanwhile, Petrom, for instance, is completing a 100 million-euro wind farm and a 500 million-euro electric power station running on gas, which will be bigger than a Cernavoda reactor.
Enel invests over 700 million euros in next five years
Bucharest, May 4 /Agerpres/ - Enel invests over 700 million euros in the Romanian electrical network in the next five years and it has started an execution programme in order to modernize the electrical network on 20 building sites in Bucharest, a company press release informs. At present, there are ongoing retooling works on eleven 110 kV stations and complete modernization works are being carried out on 400 transformer points, as well as upgrading works on the medium and low voltage networks. Approximately 50 percent of the electricity network in Bucharest is nearly half a century old, much of it has outdated equipment and an activity time span that has long been exceeded. The company has intensified its electrical network modernization works, initiated in Bucharest and in Muntenia Sud with priority, under the 'Enel New Solutions' programme. The investment programme's strengthening is being carried out to prevent potential problems generated by the recorded electricity over-consumption, mainly during the summer. The works will lead to a significant decrease in the number of cases and damage in the power supply, but also to an increase in the security level of the installations. Once the stations and transformer points in Bucharest are remotely controlled, the time of refuelling with electricity for the consumers affected by damage will be reduced by 50 percent. Enel entered the Romanian energy market in 2005. The company allocated over 1.3 billion euros for the procurement of companies and investments in companies it owns in Banat, Dobrogea and Muntenia, serving 2.5 million customers in the three regions.
Wind energy: 600 MW, 240 turbines, 1 bln euros
Agerpres, Romanian Economic Highlights, May 3. Wind projects totaling 600 MW may become operational this year, according to optimistic scenarios, almost the equivalent of a Cernavoda reactor, thus generating an over fourtyfold increase in the capacity installed in such projects compared to the end of last year. Investments in such 600-MW projects are put at nearly 1 billion euros, with such projects due to create hundreds of jobs and generate the pop-up of 240 wind turbines, given that, generally, the recent development processes of wind parks use “windmills” with individual capacities of 2.5 MW, reads the Ziarul financiar daily. The boom in wind park investments resembles the explosion of real estate projects over 2006-2008. Similarly, the only survivors of the crisis were the international energy giants that still have resources to make investments worth billions of euros. “Projects totaling 150 – 600 MW may become operational by the end of 2010, it depends on the investors’ business plans,” said Adrian Baicusi, general manager of the national electricity carrier Transelectrica, a company with a key role in the approval of wind parks. CEZ has already installed 70 wind turbines in Fantanele, Mures county (central Romania), with a similar number of turbines to be erected by this fall. Energias de Portugal announced it would develop a 90 MW-project mid-2010 in Pestera, Dobrogea area (southeastern), while Enel has initiated the construction of a 200-MW wind park. Petrom will start generating wind energy next year and the Spanish Iberdrola company will install the first turbines in a park that is to become the biggest in the world.
Gov't gives green light to Electra and Energetica national energy companies
The government approved in its Jan. 29 meeting the setting up of the two national energy companies Electra and Energetica, one week after the Supreme Council for National Defense (CSAT) had validated the project. “This is the outcome of an almost one year long public debate based on studies carried out by two US and UK research institutes,” Minister of Economy Adriean Videanu said on Jan. 29 after the meeting. “We needed these two large-sized companies, just like other countries in the region do. Romania has a rigid energy market. The end purpose of this move is to ensure Romania's natural resources for safety and national security, and financial resources for investments. Once the two energy companies enter the market, trading will be with energy, not with hydropower or electricity, like before,” said Videanu. The two companies will be reorganized by company split and merger preceded by dissolution without liquidation, as provides the government’s draft resolution. Additional capacities estimated in the normative act for the two companies are about 500 MW of gas-fired capacity, about 30 MW based on renewable resources (biomass, wind and micro-hydropower) and about 1,100 MW in pumped storage facilities. The companies will be entered in the Trade Register in the next period. The share capital of the newly established companies will be formed by the takeover of the assets and liabilities of the subsidiaries and branches of the reorganized companies, as shown by the updated Dec. 31, 2009 balance sheet, and public property assets will be taken under administration without being included in the share capital; their judicial status will be established subsequently. The project for the setting up of the two companies was introduced at a meeting of January 21 of the Supreme Council for National Defence (CSAT), when measures to reorganize the electricity generation sector were considered. The energy system is thought to be reorganized by merging the leading electricity generation and coal mining companies operating under the authority of the MECMA in two entities. CSAT approved the reorganization within MECMA of the two corporations – Electra and Energetica - that will have a mixed portfolio of power stations. Hidroelectrica, currently the main hydropower producer, was approved to split in two, with one part to go to Electra and the other to Energetica. Following the merger and division process, Hidroelectrica will cease to exist.
Electra should comprise the Turceni, Rovinari and Craiova energy compounds, Nuclearelectrica, the Oltenia National Lignite Corporation (SNLO), as well as the Valcea, Slatina and Sibiu branches of Hidroelectrica. The second corporation, Energetica, will comprise Electrocentrale Bucharest, the Deva heat and electricity station (CET) and CET Paroseni, both owned by Termoelectrica, the Iron Gates energy complex, the Sebea, Buzau, Targu-Jiu, Caransebes, Hateg, Arges, Cluj and Bistrita branches of Hidroelectrica, as well as the Petrosani National Pit Coal Corporation (CNH). The Trade Competition Council on January 18 announced it was looking into the economic concentration that will follow the merger of the Rovinari, Turceni, Craiova, SNLO, Nuclearelectrica, Hidroserv R.Valcea and the Rm. Valcea, Sibiu and Targu Jiu branches of Hidroelectrica. The main business of the Electra National Corporation will be electricity generation and supply, heat generation, transmission, supply and delivery, lignite mining and making nuclear fuel. Source: Agerpres.
The trade competition watchdog has been analyzing the operation in terms of any anti-competition effects, in accordance with the provisions of the Regulation concerning the authorization of economic concentrations. Under the Competition Law, economic concentrations in excess of the value thresholds provided for in the law shall be subject to control and notified to the Competition Council so that they may be considered against their compatibility with a normal competitive milieu. Source: Agerpres.
Gazprom cooperation may be extended for 10 natural gas deposits in Romania
Talks between Romania and Russia on the development of some natural gas deposits have been extended to 10 deposits identified by Romgaz, Trade and Business Environment Minister Adriean Videanu told a press conference on February 19. “As regards the gas storage in Romania, the talk was extended to include the Roman Margineni facility. Romgaz identified further 10 deposits and in March we will have the data on these deposits,” Adriean Videanu said. Moreover, Economy minister added Gazprom was interested in extending the cooperation with Romgaz on the depots developed by the joint venture to be set up by the two companies, with each of them due to hold a 50-% stake. The total capacity of the storage facilities may reach 6 billion cubic meters of natural gas. “Talks will not relate to the deposits exploited by Romgaz. The Roman-Margineni depot may store between 600 and 2 billion cubic meters of natural gas and all storage facilities could have a capacity ranging between 2 and 6 billion cubic meters,” the Economy Minister added. As regards the effects on the natural gas price to consumers, the MECMA official said it will depend on the way in which prices will be adjusted by the market. “The mechanism relates to the capitalization of natural gas in summer and its storage and use in winter. It is important that we will have the resources here,” Videanu said. Gazprom expressed interest in developing a direct relationship with the National Natural Gas Company Romgaz following the conclusion of the supply contracts in force regarding the imports of Russian natural gas to Romania on the occasion of a meeting held on February 17 in Bucharest by Gazprom vice-president Aleksandr Medvedev and the Economy Minister Adriean Videanu. At present, Romania imports gas from the Russian Federation through the Russian-German Wintershall company and Imex Oil. The two officials discussed about aspects relating to the gas import from Russia, the cooperation with Romgaz for the development of the storage capacities in Romania, as well as the cooperation with Transgaz for the development of the transit network and the renegotiation of the contracts regulating the transit through Romania of the natural gas to the Balkan states, with a view to extend them, as they will expire in 2011. Gazprom is the world's largest natural gas producer. Europe is almost 25% dependent on Russia for natural gas, and 80% of Russian gas deliveries to Europe pass through Ukraine. Source: Agerpres.
Romania's wind power projects threefold the capacity of a nuclear reactor
Applications for the connection to the national power grid filed with Transelectrica are threefold the capacity of a Cernavoda nuclear reactor, reports financiarul.com. However, many of these projects will just stay on paper. The most advanced investment is that of CEZ (CzechRepublic), the biggest onshore wind farm in Europe, due for completion this year. Grid connection applications by companies that plan to invest in wind power generation total 22,800 MW, eight times the capacity national electricity operator Transelectrica can install. "This significant demand for installed wind power capacity exceeds by far the current adjustment possibilities of the national electricity system. The maximum wind power capacity that can be installed is 2,660 MW," reads a Transelectrica document posted on the website of the National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE). According to Dan Preotescu, Transelectica network planning director, grid connection contracts signed so far amount to 1,500 MW and 1,160 MW are still available. "We accept applications by the criterion first-come, first served," says Preotescu. The most advanced wind power investment in Romania is that of CEZ - CzechRepublic. The 600 MW wind farm is sited in Dobrogea, at Fantanele and Cogealan, and its capacity is almost equal to that of a nuclear reactor of the Cernavoda plant, which can produce 700 MW. CEZ officials say that 350 MW will be available mid-2010 and the complete 600 MW of clean electricity will be in place at the end of 2010. This will be Europe 's largest onshore wind farm and the total investment amounts to 1.1 billion euros. "It's still unclear what Romania’s wind power capacity will be at the end of the year. Apart from CEZ, other companies also announced projects due for completion, yet of lesser capacity," said Preotescu. "The other projects totaling 18,900 MW have the studies for the connection to the public network finalized and a considerable part thereof have the documentation submitted for the technical connection approval," shows the Transelectrica release. Dan Preotescu says the biggest issue for investors in renewable energy is not the connection to the power system, but the market, that is where to sell the electricity. In late 2008, Romania’s total capacity of wind turbines was of just 10 MW, below that of neighboring countries. The new wind turbines installed by CEZ will sap the costly technology of local producers in the country, especially power stations. "This investment might hasten the closure of cost-intensive plants like Doicesti, Borzesti, Galati and Braila. On average, a wind farm effectively operates at 30% of the installed capacity. But the aforementioned plants use even less of their capacity. They are kept alive artificially," says energy analyst Jean Constantinescu. The benefits of wind farms are connected to the green certificates award system for the produced energy according to which for 1 MWh of electricity fed into the power grid, the producer gets a double price, allowing him to charge more advantageous fees. In addition, clean electricity is the first fed into the transport networks, which gives the producer an edge over coal or gas fired power plants. The downside is that wind farm electricity supplies are not continuous, like those of a thermal power plant, because of the variable direction of the wind. Dobrogea is the main target for investors in wind energy facilities. Deputy Gheorghe Dragomir, member of the Budget-finance Committee, estimated that total investments in such farms amount to four billion euros. The main investors in the sector are the Czech CEZ, Italy’s Enel, Iberdrola, Energia de Portugal. Source: Agerpres.
ANSVSA representatives prepare development of biogas stations
Romanian specialists are currently discussing with specialists from Germany and the Netherlands about preparing biogas stations in Romania, as part of a European project. Vice-president of the National Medical Veterinary and Food Safety Authority (ANSVSA) Corneliu Ceica said on February 15 that Romanian specialists would get acquainted with the way in which the biogas stations producing energy from the animal waste were authorized and operated in the neighboring countries. Ceica explained that animal waste could no longer be thrown away in the fields, and by means of such biostations, which have been operating quite well in Germany and in the Netherlands for 8 years, electric power was produced as well as fertilizers for farmlands, also having an environment-friendly component by reducing carbon dioxide and methane emissions. There are already some Romanian investors interested in such biostations. Ceica explained that for taking all the measures for the operation of such biostations, a meeting of the Agriculture Ministry, Environment Ministry and Government representatives was needed in order to clarify all aspects. Source: Agerpres.
IRENA statute approved by Gov't
The government on Feb. 10 approved the draft law to ratify the Statute for the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). “Romania was the first country to sign the accession to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). The Parliament should elaborate its own viewpoint now related to this matter for, according to law No. 590 as of 2003 on treaties stipulating that, at the state level, regardless of the regulation field, they should be submitted to Parliament for ratification. In this case it is about the statute of IRENA agency,” said Minister of Economy Adriean Videanu in the beginning of a government session. He stressed that all UN member states can acquire IRENA membership. IRENA was established in 2009 to promote renewable energy industry in the world. To date, 139 countries joined the organization, which is headquartered in the United Arab Emirates capital, Abu Dhabi. The main objective of IRENA is to increase intake of renewable energy worldwide by about one third by 2050. The Administration Fund for the Environment is currently carrying out a program on energy production from renewable sources: wind, geothermal, solar, biomass and hydro. This program aims at putting into operation new capacities for energy production from renewable energy - solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, biomass, biogas, gas from fermentation of the waste / sewage sludge stations for electricity generation or thermal. Source: Agerpres.
Romania can take over up to 6 bln cubic meters of natural gas through Nabucco pipeline
Romania can take over through Nabucco pipeline a natural gas quantity ranging between 3.5 billion normal cubic meters (Nmc) per year and six billion Nmc per year, according to the Transgaz revised Interconnection strategy. Because Nabucco consortium shareholders have the right to half of the gas pipeline capacity, Romgaz Co. would have the right to reserve a capacity of some two billion cubic meters of gas, the remainder being reserved by the traders. Romgaz gas producer will take part, on Romania's behalf, in the bidding for the reservation of the gas transport capacity through Nabucco pipeline because Transgaz, a partner in the consortium set to implement the gas pipeline, cannot run commercial activities. Estimated total investment costs for Romania for the construction of the pipeline is of some 800 million euros. The pipeline is due to become operational in 2015, according to Transgaz strategy. At the beginning of Feb. 2010, the law draft for the ratification of Nabucco Agreement received the vote of the Committee for industries, going to be voted in the plenary. The inter-state Nabucco Agreement was signed last year, in July, in Ankara, by Premier Emil Boc alongside his counterparts from Turkey, Bulgaria, Hungary and Germany, countries engaged in the construction seen as an alternative route to Russian gas imports. Nabucco pipeline will cross Romania on a 460 kilometer segment, of the total 3,300 and, through Transgaz, will cover a financing quota of some 417 million euros, part of the company in this project. The overall value of this pipeline is up to 7.9 billion euros, the funds being secured in a proportion of 70 % by loans contracted by Nabucco International Company, and 30 % from own funds. Source: Agerpres.
Dobrogea region to become huge wind park in a few years
Local authorities from several localities in the counties of Constanta and Tulcea (southeastern Romania) have been making announcements for three years they have sealed contracts with international companies interested in investing in wind energy, and not even the financial crisis was able to restrain the advance reported by this sector. The latest investment in the Romanian energy sector was announced a few days ago by Renovatio Power, controlled by the Energias de Portugal (EDP) energy group, which has already received the authorization for building a 33-MW wind park in the Sarichioi locality in the Tulcea county. According to official data, the park will comprise 11 V90 turbines manufactured by Vestas, with a 3-MW capacity each, with the first stage of the project due to become operational at the end of this year. The total investment cost was not made public, but it will probably exceed 45 million euros. At present, the projects purchased by EDP in Romania exceed 700 MW and the company’s officials announced more investments are in sight. Dobrogea is one of the main European areas of interest for the wind park developers due to the wind that blows with a constant speed throughout the entire year. Therefore, wind parks have become something ordinary for the locals. Also in Tulcea county, the inauguration tape is about to be cut for the wind park built near the Baia town, covering 180 hectares. The investment amounts to 60 million euros and is part of a project initiated by Blue Planet company, running entirely on Romanian capital, part of the Blue Investment holding in Bucharest. The company plans to erect 12 wind parks countrywide, with a 500-MW capacity, which should spread over 2,000 hectares and cost more than 500 million euros. For the entire project, Blue Planet cooperates with several large international companies, among which there are ISPE, Energomontaj, Electroputere, Nordex, Garrad Hassan, Cube Engineering and ABB Sweden and, on the short term, it plans to use structural funds or loans and to draw other investors. Blue Planet has assessed the wind potential by using pillars for wind speed and direction measurement, located in four localities in Dobrogea: Mihai Viteazu in the Constanta county and Agighiol, Valea Nucarilor, Sulina in the Tulcea county, with the projects currently pending authorization. On the other hand, at the initiative of Eco Power SRL, member of the Elvimex consortium, the Tulcea County Council has given its consent for drawing European financing with a view to build a wind park in the Tulcea county, with several local councils having already approved this procedure: Bestepe, Mahmudia, Murighiol, Valea Nucarilor, Sarichioi and Casimcea. According to the local authorities, the location of the future investment will be determined as soon as the feasibility study is completed. Local authorities in Constanta have also put up a good fight, even the more so as an energy investment brings a lot of medium and long-term benefits for the local communities. For instance, the Czech company CEZ builds in the Fantanele and Cogealac villages in Constanta the biggest onshore wind park in Europe, with a final capacity of 600 MW, worth 1.1 billion euros. CEZ received a 200-million euro loan from the European Investment Bank for the first stage of the wind project located in Fantanele and Cogealac that includes the installation of 139 turbines, due to generate 347.5 MW, that is nearly half of the capacity of Reactor 1 at Cernavoda. Further 101 turbines with a 2.5-MW capacity each will be installed in the second stage of the project in Cogealac. The Fantanele wind park is to be completed this spring, while the one in Cogealac will be finalized early 2011. “We would like the CEZ group to become a long-term investor in Romania. We will continue to bring in funds for the development of the renewable energy sector in the region,” CEZ Romania operation manager Martin Pacovsky said. Also in the Constanta county, in the Mihai Viteazu village, the first seven wind turbines of the park located in this area started to produce energy at the end of last year. Here, New Energy Group develops a project worth 54 million euros, which was connected to the public electricity network. Marian Turbatu, New Energy Group general manager said the investment was initiated four years ago, when the relevant Romanian legislation was extremely ambiguous and the financing possibilities were nearly inexistent. In its turn, the town hall of Saraiu (Constanta county) gave green light to the construction of a wind park. “The wind park will be fitted out on 1,200 hectares, outside the built-up area of the town,” Vasile Bajan, the town mayor said. Also the Dobromir Townhall in the Constanta county is negotiating with an Israeli investor that plans to build a wind park there. Town mayor Visel Usein said the project includes the installation of 220 turbines in maximum 5 years and paving of 212 kilometers of road. According to the first assessments, some 500 people will find jobs once the investment is started. Source: Agerpres.
Romania, Azerbaijan, Georgia to enter three-way natural gas partnership
Romania will conclude this March a tripartite partnership with Azerbaijan and Georgia to conduct a project called AGIR that will allow natural gas to be transmitted from Azerbaijan to Romania, via Georgia, state secretary with the Romanian Ministry of Economy, Commerce and Business Milieu (MECMA) Tudor Serban told a meeting on February 18 of Romanian diplomatic economic advisers deployed abroad. “For the time being, there are partnerships concluded with both countries. A joint-stock company will also be established for the project,” Serban explained, adding that the project value may vary between 4 and 6 billion euros. The project will also include two terminals for liquefied gas petrol, one in Georgia and the other in Romania. “In five year’s time, Romania will become an energy hub in its geographical region thanks to this project,” said Serban. He mentioned that carrying out the project will be the national gas corporations of the three countries – Romgaz of Romania, Socar of Azerbaidjan and Georgia’s national natural gas corporation. They will join together in a business consortium to which another international company will be welcomed, possibly made up of more than one partner. The whole consortium will have to cover 90 % of the project value. Serban also said that Romania is interested in joining other regional gas pipeline projects. “Romania has to come up with measurements in the Black Sea for the design of the pipelines. If Nabucco is carried out as planned, it will become the most representative project in which Romania participates, but that does not mean we are not waiting for more projects to develop around it,” said Serban. The state secretary said that given all the natural gas transmission projects unveiled – Nabucco, South Stream, North Stream and White Stream – AGIR will have to find solutions to gas supplies and project costs. Source: Agerpres.
Szeged-Arad gas pipeline to become functional by March 2010
A pipeline that will connect Romania’s National Gas Transmission System to Hungary’s transmission system, from Arad to Szeged, will become operational in February-March 2010, and a pipeline linking together the Romanian and Bulgarian transmission systems will be set in place by end-June, 2011, running from Ruse, Bulgaria, to Giurgiu, Romania. Under a strategy for interconnection with the neighbor countries released by Romania’s Transgaz National Natural Gas Transmission Corporation, the initial operational capacity of the pipeline will be 1.7 billion cubic meters a year, which could be extended to a maximum of 4.4 billion cubic meters. The pipeline project is valued at 68.2 million euros, 48 % of which will be contributed by Transgaz. The pipeline will cover 109 km, 62 km of which will be in Romania. “An assessment of the data in the call for financing proposals concerning the pipeline indicates that the European organisations involved and the beneficiaries will sign the financing contract in 2010. Construction works were concluded in late 2009 and the interconnection mainline at the border area will follow, which is conditional upon the signing of an intergovernmental agreement between Romania and Hungary, so that the commissioning date may be set for the first quarter of 2010,” reads the Transgaz strategy. The pipeline linking together the Romanian and Bulgarian transmission systems will be set in place by end-June, 2011, running from Ruse, Bulgaria, to Giurgiu, Romania should be commissioned in 2011, according to Transgaz. The pipeline will run nearly 8.4 km in Romania, a portion that includes the underpass of the Danube, and its value is put at 27.6 million euros, nearly 46 % of which will be covered by Transgaz. Officials of Transgaz and Bulgartansgaz met in the second half of 2009, also joined by officials of Bulgarian Energy Holding, and signed a memorandum of understanding between the two natural gas transmission operators to carry out the pipeline project. The maximum transmission capacity of the pipeline is 1.5 billion cubic meters a year, with a minimum of 500 million cubic meters. The interconnection project between Romania and Bulgaria has been approved by the European Commission under a European energy recovery program. Source: Agerpres.
Romania to build 2nd nuclear power plant by 2030
Romania is to build its 2nd nuclear power plant by 2030, according to the state budget law for 2010. Its capacity will be 1,000 megawatt. “The program on the promotion of the Romanian nuclear sector on a national and international level becomes ever more necessary since both the Romanian governmental and presidential institutions have planned to develop new nuclear energy capabilities – another two nuclear units of at least 700 megawatt at Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant over 2009-2015 and at least another nuclear power plant of 1,000 megawatt by 2030,” the 2010 budget plan says. The document does not set a location for the new nuclear facility. The Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant, in the southeast, is operating by two reactors of 700 megawatt each, that supply about 18 % of the national electricity consumption. Source: Agerpres.
Romania, Azerbaijan, Georgia to sign agreement for White Stream 2 gas pipeline
Romania will participate in the White Stream 2 gas pipeline project and will sign to this end a trilateral agreement with Azerbaijan and Georgia, Minister of Economy, Trade and Business milieu Adriean Videanu said on Jan. 19. “Romania will sign a trilateral memorandum with Azerbaijan and Georgia for the completion of the feasibility studies for this project (White Stream 2),” said Minister Videanu. The Romanian official participated in a visit last week to Georgia’s Batumi. “Romania is an important pillar in the Caspian area. In Georgia we discussed about Romania's participation in the Nabucco project, which is our top priority, and the liquefied gas pipeline project White Stream 2, a complementary project to Nabucco. We talked speeding up actions,” said Videanu. He also stated that he would also visit Baku (Azerbaijan) for an analysis of these projects. According to the project, the White Stream pipeline should connect Georgia to Romania running under the Black Sea and should be connected to a branch of the Baku - Tbilisi – Erzurum pipeline that transports Azeri gas to eastern Turkey. Source: Agerpres.
