“Efficiency is a hard-to-grasp issue in all sectors but particularly in the energy sector, as it requires a high degree of education,” said Catalin Dragostin, general manager of Energy Serv, a Bucharest-based firm set up in 1996.
Romania ranks third in Europe in terms of energy intensity, an index that gauges energy needs against the size of the economy. The index has improved constantly in recent years, as shown by Eurostat data, but in 2012 Romania however consumed two times and a half more energy than the European average to produce EUR1,000 of value in the economy.
From another point of view, this points to an extremely high potential as regards the development of energy efficiency services, a slice where around 10 companies operate, though, according to a 2013 report by UN Economic Commission for Europe. Another survey, of 2010, drawn up by the European Commission, placed the value of the efficiency market at some EUR50 million, accounting for the value of investments needed to be made in energy performance projects.
“The potential revolves around tens or hundreds of million euros. As a rule, though, companies prefer to complain about energy charges and do nothing. At a domestic enterprise, a project pledging savings of EUR12 million per year was not implemented because it would have cost EUR2 million,” says Dragostin.
Energy Serv’s portfolio includes cogeneration station projects meant to replace old combined heat and power plants (CET) in various cities. The company also works for Middle East clients.
Energy Serv in 2013 reached revenue of 2 million lei, up from around RON640,000 in 2012. The company has 5 permanent employees involved in the engineering side and connected activities are outsourced.
On the industrial segment, Energy Serv delivered cogeneration projects for Petromidia and Motor Oil of Greece, and a tri-generation station for the Gherla furniture plant of Sortilemn.
Dragostin says the company is still interested in city heating projects, but with “controlled risks” and the success of Gherla station could be replicated in the rest of the country.
“We can easily produce 3,000MW from biomass and biogas. In 2025, Romania should be a completely green country,” says the head of Energy Serv.
While the old national energy strategy points to the potential of biomass energy, the few investments carried out so far were came in the wake of the support scheme based on green certificates. To turn the potential into reality, a new strategy would be needed clearly stipulating the energy mix Romania needs.
“Long-term planning is absolutely essential. Leaving investments in the field in the hands of the market is a flawed approach,” concluded Dragostin.
(English version by Catalina Apostoiu)