Romania Prepares for a new peak in electricity consumption. Bușoi: Import prices exceed €200 during peak hours

The official warned that the situation could become more challenging in September if certain generation capacities do not return to the system.

Energy Command meetings to be held more frequently

Bușoi announced that meetings of the Energy Command will be held more frequently under the current circumstances.

“I chaired today’s meeting of the Energy Command. Normally, this meeting is held once a month. During this period, we will hold it weekly or every 10 days, depending on requirements,” Cristian Bușoi said.

According to him, no supply problems are expected this week, thanks in part to the situation in neighboring countries and the availability of electricity generation capacities.

“Therefore, from this perspective, in terms of supply and security of supply, we do not foresee any problems in the coming days. As regards domestic generation, coal-fired power generation is operating at maximum capacity,” the State Secretary said.

Bușoi explained that both coal-fired and natural gas-fired generation capacities are being used, while strong wind power generation is also helping to meet electricity demand.

Heatwave to push consumption above 7,000 MW

Extremely high temperatures will, however, place additional pressure on the system, particularly due to increased use of air-conditioning systems.

“This means that we will see a peak in consumption above 7,000 megawatts, with imports perhaps higher than on the other days of the week,” Bușoi said.

According to the official, average daily prices in the region are currently around €160–170, exceeding €200 during peak hours.

The State Secretary emphasized that extreme prices recorded over very short periods should not be confused with average electricity prices:

“We are talking about average prices, not isolated moments when, for a small quantity and for just a few seconds, bids reach €1,000. Of course, these figures attract media attention and the attention of those monitoring the situation, but we need to look at the average, because the impact will also be calculated on the basis of the average.”

Warning for September

Bușoi identified the return of certain generation capacities by the end of August as an important factor. Otherwise, pressure on electricity prices could intensify after September 1st.

“The impact could be significant because certain activities will resume at full pace, including those related to increased industrial production. The holiday period ends, schools reopen, these are all factors that mean higher consumption in September and, consequently, greater imports,” the State Secretary explained.

The situation in Central and Western Europe will also play an important role, as the region’s more heavily industrialized economies will have their own substantial energy requirements.

Romania to request the maintenance of interconnection capacity

Bușoi also announced that the situation will be discussed at European level, with Romania set to insist on maintaining increased electricity interconnection capacity with Bulgaria.

Bucharest will also reiterate in Brussels its arguments in favor of keeping the Turceni 5 power generation unit operational after August 31, without losing any funding under Romania’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP).

“We will reiterate our arguments for Turceni 5 to remain operational after August 31st, without this resulting in any reduction in the funds we receive under the NRRP,” Cristian Bușoi said.