This year, Romania is close to record the highest power consumption in twenty years, exceeding the figures in 2008, when the local economy peaked.
“If we reach at least 4.1% increase in power consumption this year compared with the last, 2011 will be the best year of the last two decades in terms of electricity consumption in Romania,” says Octavian Lohan, deputy general manager of national grid operator Transelectrica (TEL.RO). “It will be even better than 2008, but all we need is for the growth rate to stay at over 4.1% compared with 2010. At least 4.12%.”
Romania could register higher consumption this year than in 2008, a reference year in terms of economic growth. The year 2009 was a year of abrupt decline for both the economy and electricity consumption, while 2010 was a bounce-back year.
President Traian Basescu said in the summer of 2009 that he no longer trusted economists’ analyses so that he would call the then Economy Minister Adriean Videanu every week to inquire about power consumption trends.
“It can be an indicator for the industry, as well,” Lohan adds, referring to the importance of analyzing power consumption trends. For instance, the data provided by Transelectrica show a 4.8% increase in power consumption in the first eight months of the year, with a slowdown in July and August, compared with the similar months of 2010.
Transelectrica data also reveal that the summer was colder than last year, at least in July and August, which could explain the lower electricity consumption.
Fuel consumption in turn saw stagnation in the first half of this year after two years of dwindling demand. Most of this rebound was generated by major clients, while sales to consumers via gas stations were distressed by the low purchasing power.
Power output in Romania went down 4.1% and 7.5% in July and August compared with the corresponding months of 2010. Overall, however, electrical power output went up 7.1% from January through August.
“In the second half of last year and in the first half of this year, Romania had a significant export contract to fill, which had a positive influence on the power output, hence the negative differences in July and August,” Lohan says.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)