Romania’s Senate has approved legislation updating the framework for integrating renewable and low-carbon hydrogen into the transport and industrial sectors, a measure linked to a National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) milestone worth more than EUR 1 billion, according to Economedia.ro.

The bill was adopted on August 24 as the first Chamber notified and now needs approval by the Chamber of Deputies before entering into force. It amends Law 237/2023 and Government Emergency Ordinance 163/2022 to establish rules for the production, use and monitoring of renewable hydrogen and align Romania’s framework with national and European Union requirements.

The legislation had previously received negative reports from the Senate’s Economic and Energy committees, but amendments were subsequently agreed and approved unanimously within the committees, according to Social Democratic Party (PSD) Senator Radu Oprea.

“We had it in debate in the last session, it had a negative report from the Economic Committee and the Energy Committee, and in the meantime we managed to find some amendments that we proposed together with the chairmen of the two committees and which were voted unanimously,” Oprea said.

He said the amended version balanced the obligations imposed on fuel suppliers and described the measure as a PNRR milestone worth more than EUR 1 billion when considered together with Romania’s hydrogen strategy.

The legislation would require fuel suppliers, starting in 2030, to ensure that at least 1% of the fuel supplied comes from renewable sources of non-biological origin, including green hydrogen.

The Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) opposed the bill, arguing that the new obligation could increase petrol and diesel prices. Senator Corneliu Negru said Romania already faces high fuel prices and lacks sufficient domestic production to supply the market at affordable levels.

“The introduction of this new obligation will cause an increase in the price of gasoline and diesel fuel, that is, conventional fuel, all in the name of the so-called green transition,” Negru said.

Meanwhile, OMV Petrom has begun developing a 55 MW green hydrogen production facility at its Petrobrazi refinery, comprising projects of 20 MW and 35 MW.

iulian@romania-insider.com

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