“Investors will look at the energy strategy critically and carefully. As the stakes are high, the strategy has to be carefully drafted. Are Tarnita and two more nuclear reactors that strategic? Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. It needs to be proven that we need them. Will consumption really increase that much?” Craciun said at a conference Monday.
He said the evolution of domestic and external consumption, considering Romania exports energy in the region, should be analyzed before deciding to build new production units.
“We can’t start building new production units based on such volatile estimates,” said Craciun.
Daniela Lulache, general manager of Nuclearelectrica, said last week Romania will be forced to resort to energy imports ten years from now, when many of its current production capacities will be shut down. She argued this makes the EUR6 billion investment into two nuclear reactors absolutely necessary.
“The mistakes of the past included mixing profitable and nonprofitable units together to disguise losses. maybe it would be more efficient to have coal-powered units rather than a third and fourth nuclear reactor. But the state has to decide that,” said Craciun.
The project for the construction of two more nuclear reactors, initiated under the communist regime, was put back on the table in 2007 but four of six selected investors withdrew from the joint-venture in 2010. By the end of 2013, all investors had withdrawn.
A study by BCR shows there is major need for investments to upgrade existing energy units, such as the first nuclear reactor of the plant in Cernavoda, a series of hydropower plants and new coal-fired units.