“The licenses will be valid until the producers complete their investments in local production units. After that, they will have to use the OPCOM market to trade electricity,” said Nicolae Havrilet, president of the National Energy Regulatory Authority, or ANRE.
Romania’s Energy Law stipulates all electricity transactions must be conducted via OPCOM energy exchange. The provision has stirred much protest among producers of renewable energy, who said banks are reluctant to finance their investments in the absence of clear delivery contracts.
State-owned energy producers are compelled to trade all their electricity via OPCOM.
ANRE officials said recently that the institution has received several propositions to modify the energy Law, including from international financers such as the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
Renewable energy projects in Romania have a combined installed capacity of around 2,000 megawatts, equal to some 9% of the total energy capacity. The bulk of the alternative electricity comes from harvesting wind power, followed by micro hydropower plants, solar farms and biomass units.