VIDEO The Minister of Energy, after the Winter Command: “We also have gas, we also have energy, we are operating at full capacity” / How he estimates the evolution of gas prices

The Winter Energy Command reviewed the main problems facing the National Energy System (SEN), said the relevant minister, Bogdan Ivan, in press statements made after Monday's meeting.

Authorities expect the freezing period to last until Wednesday.

“At the moment, we are going through a period with very low temperatures. We are about 4 degrees, on average, below the average of the last five years, which automatically implies a very high operational stress on the National Energy System,” said the minister.

Bogdan Ivan specified that today was recorded “the highest consumption this winter and in the last four years, 9,235 megawatts instantly, which automatically leads us to an additional need for electricity”.

“At the moment, we are mobilized both with Hidroelectrica, which is in a very good condition, we have a fairly stable energy mix due to the fact that we also produce approximately 1,000 megawatts from wind. Also, our colleagues from CE Oltenia are producing maximum energy on coal”, he continued.

“Gas consumption has increased a lot”

The Minister of Energy said that in terms of gas consumption “we have an increase, on average, compared to the same period last year, 14.5% higher”.

“We have reached the psychological threshold of 60 million cubic meters per day, consumption, which automatically leads us to the growing need to synchronize everything that means extraction from deposits and from production, plus to balance in certain intervals the area of ​​imports. We are in a situation where, today, in our deposits we have a 59% degree of filling of gas deposits”, he added.

Bogdan Ivan said that Romania is “10% above the European Union average” in terms of the degree of gas storage filling.

“We also have gas, we also have energy, we are working at maximum to ensure that we overcome this frosty period. In terms of gas, I can say that we have approximately 170 million cubic meters, larger deposits, than the same period last year, so we are prepared for any situation during this period,” the minister also declared.

What did he say about gas prices?

The Energy Minister said that “there are already companies offering natural gas at prices below the capped price today.”

“Also, after synchronizing with gas producers, with natural gas distributors, we made sure that there is enough liquidity in the market, unlike electricity, and today we produce enough gas so that in very few places we depend on imports from outside our country, which gives us comfort and almost a guarantee that natural gas prices will not increase from April, after the capping scheme will be removed”, said Bogdan Ivan.