“Industrial consumers cannot buy (energy) at market prices. The prices charged for companies will be based on the existing prices on the free market, but they will be adjusted according to the number of employees, the company’s profitability level or the export volumes,” Chitoiu told a news conference.
He made the comments in reply to a question on whether power producer Hidrolectrica would terminate its energy contract signed with aluminum smelter Alro, Romania’s largest energy consumer.
Hidrolectrica, the country’s top power producer, wants to renegotiate or terminate a series of bilateral deals with corporate clients under which it has agreed to sell electricity at sensibly below-market prices.
The power company has already terminated three such deals and it could cancel the remaining ones by the end of July, Chitoiu said.
He said the energy watchdog ANRE will draft a report on the energy delivered to the regulated market so that the quantity can be reduced to a minimum, covering only deliveries to households and public institutions. Small-sized companies will no longer benefit from regulated prices.
“Presently, half of the 56 Terawatts of electricity produced in Romania goes to the regulated market, covering deliveries to household consumers, public institutions and to a category of beneficiaries in industry,” Chitoiu said.