Romania will invest EUR 1 billion from the European Union’s budget over the next seven years to expand the natural gas distribution networks, prime minister Ludovic Orban announced, Economica.net reported.

Only 35% of the country’s population has access to the gas distribution network, compared to a 90% gasification rate in Hungary, which has much smaller domestic resources, PM Orban argued, quoted by Stirileprotv.ro.

With the planned investments, the gasification rate will at least double, according to the target mentioned by the prime minister.

The first EUR 200 million will be earmarked under the 2014-2020 EU budget, and the procedures for having the funds allocated are close to completion, PM Orban announced.

The call for projects to be financed under this first tranche will be launched by August 1 at the latest.

The other EUR 800 mln will come from the 2021-2027 EU budget. 

(Photo: Oleg Gerasymenko | Dreamstime.com)

editor@romania-insider.com