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Renewable energy projects reach a total capacity of 4,582 MW in end-February
Projects related to the production of energy from renewable sources reached a total capacity of 4,852 MW in end-February 2014, by 170 MW more compared with end-January, according to data revealed by Transelectrica.
Thus, wind projects operating in the system generated a power of 2,792 MW, photovoltaic parks's total capacity stood at 1,149 MW, the micro hydro plants generated 542 MW in total and the biomass-based projects generated a cumulated power of 99 MW.
On January 31, the system's installed capacities of renewable energy production totalled 4,412 MW.
Romania made a commitment to have 24 per cent of its gross final energy consumption produced from renewable sources in 2020. However, ANRE announced that this target has already been reached on January 1, 2014. Thus, the mandatory renewable energy target for 2014 remained at 11.1 per cent, the same as last year, compared with 15 per cent, as it was initially supposed to be.
In order to temper the increase of the bills, the government decided on July 1, 2013, to postpone the issuance of some of the green certificates for the 2017-2020 interval.
According to the GEO No 57/2-13, the photovoltaic projects received only four green certificates per MWh, out of the six certificates they received until July 1, 2013. The wind projects benefit of only one of the two certificates they used to receive before the abovementioned date, while the micro power plants receive two out of three certificates.
Moreover, the new projects, to be processed by the system after January 1, 2014, will receive fewer subsidies from the very beginning. According to the Government Decision No 994/2013, as of December 2013, the new photovoltaic parks will only receive half of the subsidies they used to receive before, namely three certificates out of six.
In the case of the wind parks, the number of green certificates will be cut by 0.5 per cent until 2017 and by 0.25 per cent beginning with 2018. Thus, the new investors will benefit of only 1.5 green certificates before 2017 and of 1,75 green certificates after 2018.
Moreover, the micro power plants will receive by 0.7 per cent fewer green certificates per MWh, namely 2,3 green certificates will be available for new plants.
Minister-delegate for Energy, Razvan Nicolescu, last week stated, in an interview he gave to AGERPRES, that the Department for Energy is going to check into the possibility together with the representatives of the industry of introducing a new system of promotion of production of renewable energy, besides the green certificates.
'The mechanism that we have in mind should offer a greater predictability when it comes to revenues. Thus, if the revenues go past the agreed threshold, the beneficiaries, namely the producers of energy based on low-emission technologies will have to give the money back. However, if they stay below the agreed threshold, they will receive help to reach this agreed level. However, at this point, this is just an idea of an alternative system that we are going to discuss,' the Minister explained.