Greenpeace report: Most of Romania’s coal power plants operate illegally

Romania has a total of 31 coal-fueled energy groups, but 21 of them operate illegally, according to a recent report launched by Greenpeace Romania. The report analyses the coal-fueled power plants in Romania, aiming to establish a long and medium-term viability of the sector in terms of compliance with the emission limits of air pollutants. “In recent years, the thermal power plants in Romania had carbon emissions that have exceeded the EU standards over ten times. Thus, there are cases such as the Oradea, Mintia, Drobeta, Iasi, and Paroseni thermal power plants that have not reduced emissions and operate illegally. There are also other examples of thermal power plants (Mintia, Turceni) that were suspended by the Environment Guard but continue to run taking advantage of the absence of a system of penalties that would discourage a high level of emissions from power plants,” said lawyer Catalina Radulescu, the author of the study. The 31 coal-fueled energy groups are distributed in 11 plants, and only two of these plants work legally according to the reports on emissions monitoring and other documents. The two plants are Isalnita and Rovinari. The Turceni plant operates legally with three energy groups, the other two lacking the integrated environmental permit without which they can’t operate. “Through this study, we’re drawing an alarm signal on these power plants' impact on health, on the lives of the communities affected by thermal power plants and coal mines, and on climate and the environment,” said Ionut Apostol, campaign director, Greenpeace Romania. Based on this study, Greenpeace Romania aims to start a dialogue with the decision makers who need to prepare a package of alternative solutions for the areas dependent on this industry, which is in its last decade of operation. Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com (photo: Mircea Topoleanu Greenpeace Romania)