“Romania cannot accept the vulnerability of its national energy system, especially since the closure of CE Oltenia groups would solve practically nothing — we would have to resort to even more imports, from Serbia, Bulgaria, etc., and the energy produced there is also based on coal. And it is also very expensive.

For over a year, I have been explaining to the European Commission that we cannot do this, for objective reasons. The gas groups, which should replace the coal-fired ones, are in the tender stage, after multiple unsuccessful attempts, because the price of gas turbines has exploded in the last two years. Therefore, the Ministry of Energy insists on renegotiating the PNRR and postponing the deadline for closing coal-fired power plants. It is Romania’s right, as a member state, to request this renegotiation, based on objective factors, which were not in the Romania’s control,” said Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja.

“At the Power Summit 2025 – Power Play, I had another very good bilateral discussion with Dan Jørgensen, the European Commissioner for Energy. I reiterated Romania’s firm position: the closure of the 1,755 MW of coal-fired capacity, foreseen in the PNRR for January 1, 2026, is not feasible in the absence of solid alternatives. Romania’s energy security is not negotiable.

I emphasized that, without new generation capacities in the grid, this measure would make the national energy system vulnerable, especially during the winter period. There are clear technical arguments and data. Moreover, Romania has achieved a 77% reduction in greenhouse gases, ranking first in the EU, and maintains its commitment to completely phase out coal by 2032. But it cannot do this without having equivalent capacities put into operation.

I have always advocated for a smart and fair transition, for a Smart Deal, which would protect Romanians and our economy. Our country’s energy must be safe, cheap and clean — in that order of priorities. It is common sense.

Romania is an example of a European state that has respected its commitments, investing in the expansion and modernization of cross-border connections — and this has helped the Republic of Moldova or Ukraine enormously — in new sources of production, in re-technologies. We expect other member states to invest in interconnections, as is normal, so that we can truly have a single and functional European energy market.

I trust that Romania’s position will be understood and accepted by our European partners. It is a reasonable position, which takes into account both Romania’s needs and our European commitments.”