Romania : Five new solar parks and one small hydro have been approved

Five new solar and micro-hydro-power plant was approved by the Regulatory Committee of the National Regulatory Authority for Energy (ANRE) on meeting of 22 July. Thus renewable production reached a total capacity of 4689 MW at the end of Mai and from that wind power projects of 2,829 MW, PV solar parks with a total capacity of 1,200 MW, 560 MW small hydro projects and based biomass 100 MW.

Romania has assumed that 24% of gross final energy consumption in 2020 to come from renewable sources, but ANRE announced that this target has already been reached on 1 January 2014. For 2014 the mandatory quota of green energy procurement remained at 11.1%, as it was in 2013, compared to 15%, as it should be this year because the government decided on July 1, 2013, to defer the period 2017-2020 grant a number of green certificates .

According to GEO 57/2013, photo-voltaic projects receive green certificates per MWh four versus six certificates as it was before 1 July 2013. Projects benefiting only a certified wind two and two certificates of three small hydro-power.

However, new projects entering the system after January 1, 2014 receive fewer subsidies from the start. According to Government Decision 994 of December 2013 photo-voltaic parks receive only half of the grants so far, and three certificates of six.

In the case of wind farms, the number of certificates is reduced to 0.5 in 2017 and 0.25 from 2018. Accordingly, new investors will receive only 1.5 certified green by 2017 and 1.75 certified since 2018. Moreover, small hydro-power receive 0.7% less green certificates per MWh, respectively only 2.3 certified for new plants.

Frimu Ghinea