ANRE said in March the country should reduce, and even halve, the number of green certificates granted to renewable energy producers, and the measure would be enforced through a government decision. The regulator proposed to cut the number of green certificates to 3 from 6 for each megawatt of energy produced by solar power producers, to 1.5 from 2 for new wind turbines and to 1.3 from 3 for the energy produced in micro hydropower plants.
The proposition put forward by ANRE will not affect producers already present in Romania, Marian Manicuta, director with ANRE, said at a conference Thursday.
According to a draft Government emergency ordinance, Romania will temporarily reduce the number of green certificates granted to renewable energy producers to rein in electricity price increases. The measure will take effect on July 1, 2013 and will be valid until December 31, 2016.
“As far as I know, the draft emergency ordinance refers only to the current situation,” Manicuta said.
According to the draft document, between July 2013 and end-December 2016 wind power producers will receive one green certificate for each megawatt of energy they produce, instead of two certificates currently. Hydropower producers with installed capacity not exceeding 10 MW will receive one certificate instead of three, while solar power producers will get four green certificates instead of six.
Green energy producers will recover the green certificates taken away through the new regulations starting January 2017 (in the case of solar power and hydropower producers). Wind power producers will recover certificates starting January 2018, the draft act states.
Green energy producers receive a number of certificates depending on the generation technology they use and the amount of energy they produce. They sell green certificates to energy suppliers, who must ensure a certain amount of renewable energy for consumers. The number of green certificates they bought indicates whether they met their quota or not. The affair entails expenses for energy suppliers, which transfer them to beneficiaries.
As Romania has one of the most generous support schemes for renewable energy in Europe, the country has attracted significant investment in the sector. However, many industrial consumers are starting to complain about the high cost of electricity bills and are asking for measures that would limit the impact of green certificates on energy tariffs. (EUR1=RON4.4281)