Romania is going through one of the most demanding periods in recent years, in terms of energy, against the backdrop of extremely low temperatures. However, the available resources from production, storage, and imports are sufficient to cover the high consumption, Energy Minister Bogdan Ivan assured on Monday after a meeting of the National Energy Command.
The data presented by the minister shows that, in these cold days, **electricity consumption has exceeded the levels recorded in the last four winters**. Monday saw the highest instantaneous consumption during this period.
„At the moment, we are going through a period with very low temperatures, averaging about 4 degrees Celsius below the average of the last five years, which automatically implies additional operational stress on the national energy system. At present, today we had the highest consumption of this winter and the last four years, 9235 MW instant, which automatically leads to an additional need for electricity,” Minister Ivan said.
According to the official, this peak consumption is supported by a stable energy mix, which includes hydro, wind, and coal production.
„At the moment, we are mobilized with both Hydroelectric, which is in a very good condition, we have a fairly stable energy mix because we produce approximately 1,000 MW from wind. Similarly, our colleagues from CEO Oltenia are producing maximum energy from coal,” explained Bogdan Ivan.
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### Psychological Thresholds Exceeded in Gas Consumption
In the natural gas segment, the pressure is equally high. Consumption has significantly increased compared to last year, surpassing thresholds considered critical by specialists.
„We have reached psychological thresholds of 60 million cubic meters per day consumption, which automatically leads to an increasingly greater need to synchronize everything related to extraction from storage and production, plus to balance imports in certain intervals,” Ivan added.
The minister emphasized that the level of filling in the storage facilities is comfortable and above the European average.
„We are in a situation where, today, in our storage facilities, we have a 59% filling level in the gas storages, we are 10% above the European Union average, and we are in a situation where, even from this summer, when we decided to fill the storages 100%, it turns out it was an inspired decision because today, when we have these cold periods, we can say that we are prepared to face any challenges,” the minister pointed out.
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### Energy System Ready for the Coming Days
Bogdan Ivan stated that the cold spell is expected to last until Wednesday and emphasized that the entire system is operating at maximum capacity.
„The energy system is fully prepared, both in terms of electricity production and natural gas, their transport, distribution, and supply.”
### Local Failures
There have been local issues caused by difficult weather conditions. In Suceava County, a system malfunction left about 700 consumers in four localities without power on Monday afternoon, with teams working to rectify the situation.
Meanwhile, coal stocks are considered sufficient, and extraction activities continue under challenging conditions.
The difference between production and consumption is covered by imports, in a gap considered manageable by authorities.
„We maintain the same gap of about 1,200 MW in imports, and I believe that what is most important for people to know, to avoid topics that create emotion, is that Romania today is completely outside the scenario of facing an energy shortage, outside the scenario of a systemic failure of the national energy system. Everyone is prepared, I personally made sure that each of the responsible companies, with all specialists, is prepared both in the dispatch area and in the field, and at the same time, I thank them. The conclusion is that **we have both gas and energy, we operate at maximum to ensure that we overcome this cold period**. Regarding gas, I can say that we have about 170 million cubic meters, larger deposits than the same period last year, so we are prepared for any situation in this period,” Minister Ivan emphasized.
The National Meteorological Administration (ANM) issued new [yellow code alerts for cold and extremely low temperatures](https://spotmedia.ro/stiri/meteo/anm-e-emis-5-noi-alerte-de-ger-valabile-pana-joi-ne-asteapta-doua-nopti-cu-cod-galben-in-toata-tara) on Monday, valid throughout the country until Wednesday morning, as well as a notice of exceptionally cold weather, frost, intensified wind, mixed precipitation, and glaze, until Thursday morning.