The Minister of Energy, Bogdan Ivan, announced on Wednesday that Romania will keep several coal-fired power plants operational at least until the end of 2029.
The decision comes after complex negotiations with representatives of the European Commission and marks a significant amendment to the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR).
"The news is very clear: Romania will continue to have active coal-fired power plants. Three units will operate until the end of 2029, and two of them at least until August 2026," the minister stated.
Ivan specified that the thermal power plants in Craiova and Govora will continue to provide heat, electricity, and industrial steam for local consumers and companies like Ford.
The decision avoids the risk of a possible blackout during winter and protects the country's energy security.
"Through this amendment to the PNRR, Romania has managed to avoid the worst-case scenario, that of major power outages during winter. At the same time, over 4,500 people will keep their jobs," emphasized the Minister of Energy.
He explained that without this decision, Romania would have been required to shut down a total of 1,755 MW of coal capacities by December 31, weakening the national energy system and leading to an increase in energy imports and bills for the population.
At the same time, the minister warned that rejecting this amendment could have resulted in a penalty of up to 1.8 billion euros from the European Commission, considering that Romania has already received 2.6 billion euros to gradually replace coal plants with gas units, photovoltaic parks, and storage systems.
"We have ensured that Romania will get through the winter without major issues and without energy price hikes starting January 1, 2026," Bogdan Ivan added, thanking his team and the European representatives involved in the negotiations.