The Romanian Government said that it will postpone the closure of two coal-fired power plant units and associated coalmines until October 2023 in order not to jeopardize energy supply in the country.
The two units in question are TPP Rovinari 3 and TPP Turceni 7, with installed capacity of 330 MW each, both operated by Energy Complex (EC) Oltenia. The two units and their associated coalmines will continue to operated for additional 9 months.
The decision was taken in line with a law which stipulates that in an energy crisis, the government can postpone closure or restart coal-based energy capacities and related mining operations, while respecting the assumed deadline for decarbonization of the national energy sector.
In June, the Romanian Government decided to delay its planned decarbonization goals for the energy sector, maintaining the use of coal for an extra two years. The initial plan would have had mines and coal-related activities shut down by 31 December 2030.