Why Romania imports energy these days, when consumption is at a historical minimum, and Transelectrica has closed almost all plants
The Romanian energy system passes, starting on Friday, an exceptional situation, respectively a historical minimum of consumption and a large production of energy from photovoltaic sources. Therefore, it is difficult to maintain a balance, and the national energy dispatcher within Transelectrica has closed almost all plants. Even in this situation, there were periods with energy imports of over 1,000 MW, because they were cheaper than the energy produced in Romania.
Sunday marked a minimum historical record for electricity consumption in Romania. According to Transelectrica data, analyzed by HotNews.ro, the lowest instant consumption was recorded at 14.57, when only 2,483 MW was used, therefore, lowering under the 2,500 MW -estimated MW pole by the national energy dispatcher.
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Under these conditions, Transelectrica stopped the entire power plant from Rovinari from Friday and reduced Hidroelectrica to about 200 MW, and gas power stations, up to 170 MW. The Oltenia Energy Complex worked with a single boiler, the one from Turceni, and the photovoltaic panels generated 670 MW.
Fortunately, there was no need to reduce power at the Cernavoda nuclear power plant, although the specialists had also taken into account such a measure, to avoid current feathers for consumers.
Romania has imported electricity even this weekend
Even so, there were intervals in which Romania was importer. For example, on Saturday it imported almost all day, while the Romanian power plants were closed.
This is because the price of energy was very low in western Europe, being zero in Germany and Switzerland, 2 euros per MWh in Spain and Portalia and 23 euros in France, while in Romania and in the region the price was 72 euros per MWH.
So it was cheaper to import energy in those moments than to produce it in the country.
In addition, at night and in the hours when it was not the sun, Romania imported several hundred MW in the absence of production in photovoltaic parks.
National Electricity Consumption continues to be reduced and Monday
On Monday, at noon, the consumption continues to be a very small one, only 2,800 MW.
The Cernavoda power plant operates at maximum capacity, 1,300 MW, and the photovoltaic panels produce over 1,000 MW.
Coal and hydrocarbon power plants remain reduced to 200 MW and the adjustment is made of hydroelectric plants, which at 11:30 produced 970 MW.
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