Electricity consumption down 5% in Romania, Hidroelectrica becomes largest producer in 2013

Romania used 5 percent less electricity in 2013 on the year before, in total some 49 TWh, according to a recent report on the electricity market, published by the National Energy Regulation Authority ANRE. Electricity consumption had reached 52.3 TWh in 2012. In 2013, the country's electricity production was also down, but only by 2 percent, to some 55.7 TWh. Exports more than doubled, however, to some 2.4 TWh. Meanwhile, imports were down 67 percent, to around 0.45 TWh. The largest electricity producer in 2013 was insolvent and state - owned hydo energy producer Hidroelectrica, with a market share of 28.2 percent. In 2012, the largest electricity producer in Romania was Complexul Energetic Oltenia, another state company, which uses coal as its raw material and which produced 30.4 percent of the country's electricity, while Hidroelectrica produced 22.8 percent of Romania's electricity. Other large electricity producers in 2013 were Nuclearelectrica (20.6 percent), OMV Petrom (6.3 percent), CE Hunedoara (5.2 percent) and Electrocentrale Bucuresti (4.6 percent). Renewable energy accounted for 7 percent, with CEZ and Enel being the largest producers on this niche, with 1.4 and 1.1 percent, respectively. editor@romania-insider.com