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EnerMin: Romania ready to play leading role in global effort to triple renewable energy production capacity
Romania is prepared to play a leading role in the global effort to triple the world's renewable energy production capacity and double energy efficiency by 2030, with projects worth billions of euros and an absolutely unique potential in the region, at all levels, Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja says.
"Today [on Tuesday - Ed. note], in front of 53 counterpart ministers from all over the world, I had the honor to present the arguments for Romania's joining the Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency Pledge. The goal is to triple the world's renewable energy production capacity and double energy efficiency measures until 2030. Not just for us, but for all of humanity, the stakes are unprecedented. Do we still have a future on this Planet or not? Romania is prepared to play a leading role in this global effort, due to projects worth billions of euros and to our region's absolutely special potential for all sources (solar, wind, geothermal, hydrogen, nuclear energy etc.). I informed my fellow ministers gathered today from all over the world about Romania's successes in recent years, both as regards the rise in the number of prosumers, and the mobilization of the private environment and the accelerated growth of energy production from renewable sources. Moreover, energy must not only be green, but above all, it should be safe. And I told them one more thing: when each of us returns home to their country, let us remember that the mission we undertook together is not about the next elections, but about the next generations," the minister wrote on his Facebook page.
Sebastian Burduja emphasized that Romania's example shows that we need not only partnerships between governments, but also between citizens and the private sector, and one of the lessons learned by Romania is that grant funding really works.
"A year and a half ago, Romania had less than 20,000 households with rooftop photovoltaic panels. Today we have 100,000 such households. (...) As far as private companies are concerned, we made available two billion euros in European and national budget funding, and the market's response was incredible. We expect this funding facility to generate somewhere between 6 and 8 GW of photovoltaic and wind capacities by 2030," the Energy minister said at the COP28 meeting.
Speaking about energy security, he pointed out that unless it's safe, green energy counts as no energy at all.
"So in terms of grid upgrading and balancing, I'd like to emphasize the importance of storage, especially pumped hydropower storage, which tends to be much more environmentally friendly than battery farms. So this is a call for everyone to have in view storage in hydropower plants and to expedite the release of environmental licenses," Burduja pointed out.