The targets for filling the natural gas storage facilities have been exceeded in Romania and there will be no problems with electricity or natural gas this winter, Energy Minister Virgil Popescu said on Wednesday at a news briefing following a government sitting.
„We have quickened up the pace and we have practically exceeded the targets we undertook for filling the natural gas storage facilities. (…) Today, you can notice that we have exceeded 70% of the filling level of the storage facilities. Practically, Romania has over 2.14 billion cubic meters in natural gas storage facilities. We are moving at a higher pace, we are not stopping the storage and we hope to exceed the 80% target on November 1, as committed to and approved by regulation in the Council of Ministers on July 26, if I’m not mistaken”, said Popescu.
He pointed out that the stockpiles were inventoried so that Romania may be able to get through winter well, and the Oltenia Energy Complex is on schedule with the coal stockpiles, voicing hope that the drought will not affect hydropower production too much.
„It will have a higher production of about 900,000 tons of coal this year, which will also bring it additional electricity production. We rely on the Oltenia Energy Complex for additional electricity production, and the demand is met for coal-fired plants for this winter in the short term is, higher than last year.(…) We hope that this drought will not affect hydro production as much, but we are prepared, as I said, with coal-based to solve some possible problems with the drought. Romania will not have problems with electricity or natural gas this winter, and that’s what I wanted to express from the government table”, said the energy minister.
He added that he presented to the government and sent to the prime minister the entire investment plan that the Ministry of Energy has been implementing.
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