Romania to ask EC for more time to replace coal-fired power plants

Romania will ask the European Commission to accept amending the calendar drafted for replacing the coal-fired power plants at Complexul Energetic Oltenia (CEO), minister of energy Sebastian Burduja said in a press conference on October 16.

CEO needs at least a year and a half, minister Burduja implied, at the same time admitting that the request is rather a long shot, Economica.net reported.

Under the Restructuring Plan drafted by CEO when applying for state aid, a plan endorsed by the EC, all the coal-fired power units will be shut down by January 1, 2026. A small part of them will be maintained until January 2032 as a strategic reserve to be used under special circumstances.

However, the natural gas-fired and photovoltaic (PV) projects carried out by CEO have accumulated delays of roughly one year and a half and will not be ready in time to substitute the capacity of the coal-fired units.

(Photo source: Facebook/Complexul Energetic Oltenia)