The amount collected from green certificates, which the Romanian government grants as a reward to those generating renewable energy, is about 5.6 times higher than in January 2011, as 2012 is the first year when the support for this type of energy produces effects in full.
The data published by Transelectrica, the national electricity transmission company, show that 487,392 green certificates were issued in January, while the total number issued in 2011 stands at about 1.7 million.
The spectacular rise is not just because of the increase in the installed capacity but mainly because the support scheme put in place by the government started to produce effects as late as the end of last year. The scheme is worth about EUR10 billion by 2020 and the main magnet that drew major green power investors to Romania.
The support scheme rewards each megawatt of green power with a number of certificates depending on the technology used to generate it. Wind power gets two certificates, while solar power gets six, and one certificate is currently worth EUR55. Certificates are then bought by energy suppliers, who are required to have green power account for a specific share of the power supplied to consumers.
Whereas green power producers got about EUR95 million in green certificates last year, they might get EUR300 million this year, according to the latest estimates.
The undisputed winner of this support scheme so far is Czech-held CEZ, which collected EUR10.9 million in green certificates in January, compared with EUR2 million in the same time last year, according to Transelectrica data.
Other top beneficiaries of green certificates in January were Energias de Portugal (EUR5.4 million) and Italian-held Enel (about EUR3 million).
(English version by Loredana Frățilă-Cristescu)