Stefan Gheorghe, director general of the Romanian National Committee of the World Energy Council (CNR-CME), told AGERPRES on Thursday that Romanians can rest assured this cold season, as energy security is guaranteed.

'Romanian consumers can rest assured, energy security is guaranteed. As for the rest (the price - ed. n.), I cannot guarantee that,' Stefan Gheorghe said while attending the conference 'Energy Storage: Regulation, Financing, Project Profitability, Grid Connection,' held on Thursday at the Politehnica University of Timisoara.

The expert stressed that energy in general, and electricity in particular, is a commodity.

'Romania is currently in an extremely complex geopolitical context, in which it has made some positive moves but also fallen behind in resolving certain issues. All these factors constantly affect the price of energy, but what is very important is the energy security of electricity supplies to consumers. It can be seen that the Romanian energy system has succeeded in ensuring that energy security is met as an objective, and very significant efforts are being made by transmission system operators and electricity distribution operators so that all categories of consumers, both industrial and household, can have access to energy at all times, as far as possible, without interruptions. The price of energy is determined by particularly complex factors. All geopolitical factors contribute to and determine an increase or, more rarely, a decrease. I believe the determining factors are geopolitical and, secondly, the activities and political strategies of the Romanian Government,' Stefan Gheorghe explained.

The energy engineer pointed out that photovoltaic and wind renewable sources are volatile, while most of Romania's energy needs are supplied by large power plants, where several ministries and state authorities are involved.

He stressed the importance of electricity storage capacity, as well as gas storage capacity that can be used by thermal power plants.

'In the form of electricity at industrial power levels, it cannot be stored. However, for small quantities there are batteries that can store it for a limited period, and at fairly high costs. Natural gas can be stored and, at a given time, can contribute to electricity generation. Batteries are manufactured in Romania, but not on a scale that would allow them to cover consumption needs over long periods during peak hours. (...) There is the Iernut gas-fired power plant, which needs to be completed, as well as other power plant upgrades involving the conversion from coal to gas, which could help reduce the overall price of energy. Romanians can rest assured that they will have energy whenever they need it, so energy security is guaranteed,' Stefan Gheorghe said.

During the conference, former Energy Minister and PNL MP Sebastian Burduja said in a video message that in this field the private sector has most often been the one to take the first step when it comes to investment, adding that in the future the state should take over this initiative.

'For the midday sun to reach every home in Romania at 20:00, we need the best experts sitting around the same table. The best place for this is the CNR-CME, a respected community,' Sebastian Burduja said.

The conference held on Thursday at the Politehnica University of Timisoara aims to highlight the latest developments in the legislative and regulatory framework governing renewable energy and energy storage solutions. During the day, the event will address key topics including the implementation of European directives on renewable energy, support mechanisms and incentives for investment, financing opportunities, the integration of storage capacity into the grid, as well as the impact of new regulations on the energy market. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Otilia Halunga; EN - writing by: Adina Panaitescu)