According to the energy law amendments, starting January 2014, government lowered its support for renewable energy projects.
“Legally, we could not postpone them for this year (…).Those who submitted the files had the right to analysis and approval in 2013“, said Emil Calota, ANRE vice-president.
In December, ANRE awarded 144 green energy licenses, compared with 48 in November, 37 in October, and 25 in September, according to ANRE data.
Investors in solar power projects were the most motivated to speed up the projects as the aids were reduced to half according to the new aid scheme. As of January 1, each megawatt/hour of solar power gets 3 green certificates, totaling EUR132 at the current market value, compared with 6 green certificates in the old scheme, worth up to EUR264.
Taking into account an average project of 1 MW, in December, ANRE approved projects of 144 MW, representing investments of over EUR200 million.
The main issue is that Romania already exceeded 3,000 MW of renewable power projects, over the safety limit announced by Transelectrica.
At the end of November 2013, solar farms operating in the country had a total capacity of 740.4 MW, according to national grid operator Transelectrica, more than one of the two reactors at the country’s Cernavoda nuclear power plant.
Transelectrica data also show that Romania had only 49.3 MW operational in photovoltaic parks at the end of 2012, which means the capacity increased 15-fold in eleven months, following investments of over EUR1 billion, much beyond expectations.
According to the National Renewable Energy Action Plan, Romania had to reach 78 MW in solar energy projects in 2013, while it exceeded 740 MW.
Currently, solar and wind energy projects together exceed 3,000 MW, an amount announced by Transelectrica that it can be easily integrated in the national grid. Beyond that threshold, Romania should invest in balancing projects, such as Tarnita-Lapustesti hydropower plant, projects which currently lag behind.
As of January 1, 2014, the new wind power plants starting operation will receive 1.5 green certificates per MWh instead of two, solar farms will get three instead of six, and hydropower plants will get 2.3 certificates instead of three. The modification only applies to new projects and does not add to the modifications in force since July .
At that time, the Government decided to put off the granting of a number of green certificates depending on the technology used. The certificates are set to be recouped between 2017 and 2020.
For instance, if a wind energy producer used to get two green certificates for every MWh injected into the grid, the same producer gets only one certificate, with the other certificate to be recouped as of 2018. For solar energy, the cut was from six to four green certificates, with the two remaining ones set to be recouped as of 2017.
(English version by Gabriela Stan)