This is almost three times the amount in the entire 2011 and accounts for the green certificates issued for the renewable energy generated. The surge in the amount was because of the increase in the installed capacity of the green energy producers, as well as because the support scheme has been fully operational since November 2011.
The scheme rewards clean power producers for every megawatt supplied to the system by giving them a variable number of certificates depending on the type of energy generated. One certificate is worth EUR27 to EUR55 and they are now trading at their maximum value.
The certificates are then purchased by the electricity suppliers, which are required to include green power in the electricity basket supplied to consumers and use the certificates to prove it. The cost of certificates is then passed on to consumers.
More than 77% of the EUR260 million went to wind power producers. Romania has over 1,770 megawatts of capacity installed in wind farms, which required more than EUR2.5 billion investments. The largest owners of wind farms are CEZ (Czech Republic), Enel (Italy) and Energias de Portugal.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)