“The adoption of joint measures with European Union is aimed at allowing industrial companies benefit from a similar treatment with their EU competitors, without affecting the rest of the consumers in Romania,” Marian Nastase, ABIEC president, stated.
ABIEC includes the biggest energy consumers in Romania, such as Alro Slatina, ArcelorMittal Romania, Lafarge Romania, Tenaris and Saint Gobain, whose consumption reach approximately 10% of the total energy produced in Romania.
ABIEC members have over 30,000 employees and are in charge indirectly for another 170,000 jobs of contracting companies.
The major electricity consumers will pay for a lower number of green certificates, while natural gas producers will have to sell part of their production on the on the local commodities market, according to a government decision draft that will be adopted Wednesday.
According to a government decision draft, the big electric power consumers will only pay 15-60% of the green certificates quota, in a state aid scheme meant to prevent the companies from losing their competitiveness due to the support granted to renewable energy.
The support scheme will be available for 10 years and will come into force after approval from the European Commission.
The energy intensive industry in Romania accounts for about 20% of the final gross power consumption; it also creates the most jobs, having directly provided 760,000 jobs and about 1,500,000 indirectly in 2012.