Energy Tech Day 2025: A Pragmatic Approach to Combining Fossil Fuels with Renewables
The Romania’s leading energy technology event & networking platform Energy Tech Day (ETD) – A Pragmatic Approach to Combining Fossil Fuels with Renewables took place on April 16, at the JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel.
This 6th edition of the ETD brought a new challenge in the context of the ongoing energy transition: can hydrocarbons and renewable energy sources work in tandem?
Setting the scene
Despite the real need to reduce carbon emissions to protect the environment, the era of fossil fuels – and natural gas in particular – is far from over. Many experts predict that fossil fuels will continue to dominate energy use through 2050. But clean technologies—such as wind and solar energy—will grow four to five times faster than other energy sources over the same period.
According to ExxonMobil’s outlook, for example, oil and natural gas remain the most important sources of energy, while lower-carbon energy will meet a larger share of global demand. The biggest shift will be the rise of renewables and the decline in coal.
As regards the Romanian Ministry of Energy, the country is on track towards a cleaner future by 2050 and exceeding EU ambitions. Romania has a National Energy Strategy, adopted by the Executive in November 2024, which sets out clear directions for the development of the sector for the first time: energy security, clean energy, energy efficiency, affordability and economic competitiveness, efficient markets, innovation, and digitization.
In his opening remarks, Pavel-Casian Nitulescu – Secretary of State at the MINISTRY OF ENERGY, highlighted the major actions of the institution, focusing on the key investments and projects that drive innovation and sustainability. He also noted the most important investment objectives under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP). It was mentioned that Romania has one of the lowest per capita emission rates in the EU. In 2021, Romania’s greenhouse gas emissions decreased by 77%, exceeding the EU’s target of reducing greenhouse gases by 55% by 2030.
Energy Security and Sustainability in the Oil & Gas Sector
The panel started with a dare launched by moderator Iulian Harpa – Managing Partner, HIM PUBLIC AFFAIRS. He invited the speakers to address the question: Is it possible to combine “Drill, baby, drill!” and “Green, baby, green!” in one strategy that can make Romania a key player in the European energy market of tomorrow?
Starting from the idea that energy transition means more than just reducing emissions, including building sustainable solutions, Ionut Sorin Banciu, Vice President of ANRMPSG, showed that geological storage of CO₂ is not only a climate commitment, but also a solution for maintaining or increasing the competitiveness of key industrial sectors for Romania and the EU. His presentation highlighted Romania’s geological potential for CO₂ storage, Romania’s target of approximately 10Mt/year by 2030, and the technical, social, and institutional challenges. In conclusion, Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is essential for climate neutrality, and the key to success, according to the ANRMPSG vice president, lies in collaboration and innovation.
Continuing the previous speaker’s idea, Ryan Morrison, Head of New Energy Europe, SLB, highlighted the challenges related to the implementation of CCS projects. He gave examples of the most important projects carried out to date by SLB, a global technology company, demonstrating that its success stems from a number of factors, including suitable storage space, storage integrity and safety, cost effective transportation, cost effective capture, regulations & permitting, government strategy & public acceptance, carbon pricing. However, the foundation is technological innovation, and the experience gained from delivering seven carbon capture units to date.
At ROMGAZ, the measures needed to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 are part of the NetZeRomGAZ strategy, presented by Nicolae Costin, Head of Exploitation, Tg. Mures Branch. Thus, the company is a member of the FPE (Energy Employers’ Federation), and in January 2024 it joined IOGP (International Association of Oil & Gas Producers) to keep abreast of Romanian and European legislation and the changes and measures resulting from them. In July 2023 ROMGAZ joined OGMP2 (The Oil & Gas Methane Partnership 2.0). The company has concluded a contract for consultancy services on methane emission reduction with TUV Austria and a contract for expert consultancy and assistance in the identification/selection of suitable sites for conversion into geological CO2 storage sites with SLB. ROMGAZ has also signed memoranda with several CO2 emitters in order to perform CO2 storage service.
During the transition to a cleaner future, OMV PETROM envisages new low-carbon activities by 2030: renewable energy, biofuels, alternative mobility, blue and green H2, and CCU&S. Ionut Ciubotaru, Vice President for Business Development, highlighted other high-potential technologies such as energy storage, geothermal energy, and biogas. One of the most promising technologies for low-carbon hydrogen production, highlighted in particular by Ionut Ciubotaru, was the Hycamite solution – Methane splitting. The method utilizes existing infrastructure and can benefit from the waste heat of the customer. Hycamite is the only company able to produce large volumes of battery grade graphite from methane splitting on an industrial scale. Currently the commissioning of the first industrial scale plant, the Customer Sample Facility (CSF), is in progress. This is the largest methane splitting plant in Europe.
With more than 85 years of market leadership, EXPRO has been present in Romania for one year. The company comes up with a balanced portfolio and capabilities across the well lifecycle. While Expro is involved in the Neptun Deep project, Andrei Ion – Senior Area Manager, Europe, Mediterranean and Caspian Area, believes that renewables are very important for the energy transition. He also recognizes the undeniable contribution of the CCUS activities to a cleaner environment. Expro has been providing well services to the European CO2 storage market since 2010, using a combination of technology and expertise to reduce risks and save costs through the project lifecycle. Also, EXPRO is an active player in the European geothermal market. The company’s sustainable energy solutions envisage minimizing emissions in oil and gas, utilizing their transferable skills and expertise, 50% reduction in CO2 by 2030, Net Zero CO2 by 2050.
The ENERGY EMPLOYERS’ FEDERATION (FPE) is a representative organization that promotes the interests of companies in the energy sector, supporting the sustainable and competitive development of this strategic sector for the Romanian economy. His representative, Daniel Apostol – Managing Director, insisted on the impact of the €1 billion investment in onshore oil and gas exploration and production. This is a significant investment with direct and indirect consequences for the economy, and through the value chain and interdependencies specific to the sector, this impact spreads to other industries, also creating a considerable knock-on effect.
The two energy sources under discussion are not mutually exclusive, they must coexist – is the opinion of Mihnea Zamfir – Strategy and Sustainability Director, E.ON ROMANIA & DELGAZ GRID. He brought up the Clean Industrial Act, with its focus on competitiveness in the energy sector, an agreement that positions decarbonization as a powerful growth driver for European industries. Even though increasing the share of renewable energy in Europe’s energy mix means ensuring greater energy security and independence, the transition from a fossil fuel-based economy to an electricity-based and decarbonized economy will continue to depend on natural gas, in combination with other molecules. Furthermore, the energy transition cannot succeed without electricity and gas grids, Mihnea Zamfir underlined.
Hydrocarbons and Renewables Working Together to Power the Future
Raluca Alexandra Covrig – Director of Public Affairs and Communication, FPE, continued the round of challenges, inviting the speakers of the second session to present their point of view on topical issues: energy transition, solutions to the energy trilemma and energy security.
Corneliu Bodea – CEO, ADREM & President, CRE, said that the energy transition is not a competition between sources. It should be an exercise in complementarity, efficiency, and long-term strategy. In his opinion, “Renewables need flexibility. Hydrocarbons need optimization. Nuclear needs time. None of them work in isolation.” Which is why the real question isn’t what sources we use, but how we integrate them into a system that works in real-world conditions. While significant funds have been allocated to the production of renewable energy sources, the same should be done for storage, transmission, distribution, with priority given to smart grids. Another issue brought up by the energy expert was vocational retraining, given that Romania will need approx. 30-35000 specialists in 2028.
In addition, Razvan Copoiu, Deputy CEO of ENEVO GROUP, states that Romania has always had a good energy strategy, but that it has not been rigorously implemented. Analysing the current situation, he believes that a correlation must be found between investments and strategies, and that infrastructure must be developed intelligently and strengthened. Thus, cooperation between the two resources can position Romania as one of the most important pillars in the region.
An important factor for a successful energy transition is the legislative framework. Daniel Vlasceanu, Partner at VLASCEANU & PARTNERS, spoke about developments in this sector. He noted the support from the political class for the development of renewable energy sources in Romania, the existence of new draft legislation, Romania’s accession to the Association of Issuing Bodies (AIB) to facilitate the trading and legitimization of guarantees of origin, as well as legislative improvements in the field.
In turn, Dragos Roibu, CEO of NUCLEARELECTRICA SERV, recalled Romania’s need to continue to focus on baseload energy production. The optimal energy mix of the future for Romania could be nuclear energy – SMRs in the medium and long term, natural gas and as much green energy as possible.
On the other hand, Robert Kenderessy, Regional Sales Manager Balkans Area, SOLAX POWER, thinks it’s important for Romania to get some inspiration from its neighbours, since our country is lagging behind, at least when it comes to energy storage, compared to other European countries. He continued with the storage solutions offered by SOLAX, due to enter the market in Q3 2025, exemplifying their advantages and benefits. The future belongs to new technologies, the SOLAX representative concluded.
As energy security plays an important role in common defence, the involvement of INCDT COMOTI in projects of this kind brings Romania international prestige. Florina Ciulei – Marketing Representative, presented to the audience the institute’s latest achievement in this field, namely the Argonaut Program (ESA project), designed to deliver cargo, infrastructure, scientific equipment and supplies for astronauts. COMOTI – the main contractor, will work together with Initium Space on the development of a payload offloading system – LOADER, for ESA Argonaut lunar LANDER. The project goal is research, design, manufacturing and testing of a lunar crane designed to unload useful equipment on the surface of the Moon.
Another question that the panellists were invited to answer was related to the capacity of the Romanian state to finalize the financed projects in due time. In the opinion of Ciprian Bodiu – Head of Sales, PARAPET, not all investors who have won projects will end up implementing them. Although the funds through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) will continue to be available, and there are many potential sources of funding, which is an attractive element for investors to Romania, there is a risk that some of them may not be able to implement projects. In short, in his opinion, three terms define the energy transition in Romania – opportunity, responsibility, resilience.
Energy Tech Day Talks
The third session of ETD 2025 brought together a group of experts to discuss trending topics in Romania’s energy sector. Georgian Albu – Corporate Affairs Expert, E.ON ROMANIA, initiated the debate by proposing the main subjects to elaborate on, including liberalization of energy markets in Romania, Clean Industrial Deal – Affordability Package, and more.
In the context of the recent energy crisis, repeated administrative interventions have led to a series of malfunctions which continue to affect market equilibrium and discourage investment appetite, both in the energy sector and across the whole spectrum of economic activities in which energy plays a relevant role. Although the return to a regulated market was justified by external factors, a determining element in this decision was the lack of adequate preparation for the liberalization process. The question is what a regulatory framework should look like to allow a smooth transition from crisis intervention to the functioning of a fully liberalized market.
After a brief history on the beginnings of the regulated energy market, Silvia Vlasceanu – Executive Director, HENRO, covered the stages of the liberalization process, pointing out the main aspects related to the definition of vulnerable consumers, including GEO 114/2018. Given that the number of ANRE regulations has reached 300 in only nine months, the expert concludes that the Romanian energy market is over-regulated: “there should be rules, but less regulation.” As a solution for the future, Silvia Vlasceanu also sees nuclear energy, also accepted in the EU, as a future solution, more specifically SMRs, scalable and feasible for urban agglomerations. A particularly important step for a functioning market, she added, is national planning.
The criteria for defining vulnerable consumers were analysed by Cristina Paun – Deputy Director, ACUE, who considered that the definition of vulnerable consumer should take into account income. “The cap was necessary, it was necessary for the State to intervene to protect consumers. Yet the capped tariff of RON 0.68/kWh was never sustainable. We are returning to the free market, and we don’t have to put it off any longer. Real consultation with market players is needed. Help for vulnerable consumers should be maintained, but they should be defined solely on the basis of income, not consumption. Public policy on the vulnerable consumer needs to be recalibrated and income, not consumption, should be insisted on as a criterion,” is the opinion of energy suppliers.
In the view of AFEER, the situation is aggravated by the fact that the authorities refuse to clarify the regulation. Laurentiu Urluescu – President, showed that the state is late in honouring its obligations. The subsidies set by law to help consumers have not been paid in full by the state, but most of them have been paid by suppliers, generating state debts of several billion RON to them. Today, the amounts for the entire year 2024 have been borne almost entirely by suppliers, who have been forced to take on bank loans. Suppliers have cash-flow problems, with the state struggling to pay debts.
Defining the vulnerable consumer is not an insurmountable problem, according to Radu Dudau – President, ENERGY POLICY GROUP, who notes the inability of the State to solve the problem of the vulnerable consumer, but also the existence of some communication blockages between the government and local authorities. Data on wealth taxation is known at local level, but not at central level. He blames the fact that in Romania, the Ministry of Energy is not able to collect data on the energy consumption of the population, unlike in Slovakia, where this problem has been solved.
Given that the banking sector plays an important role in ensuring the stability of the energy market, through substantial loans contracted by the supply segment, developments in the energy sector were also analysed by Grigore Pana – Corporate and Investment Banking, BRD. He believes it is more than necessary to have functioning markets so that players and financiers can support energy projects. The energy sector represents the most important share of a bank’s portfolio, emphasized Grigore Pana, who sees Romania as a hot spot for the development of renewable energy sources. There is also openness and appetite for nuclear solutions and feasible projects in Europe and Romania, he added.
Regarding the possibility of combining traditional energy sources with renewable sources, Vlad Stoicescu – President, ROMANIAN SUSTAINABLE FUELS ASSOCIATION, favours another term: clean energy. In this regard, following a comparative analysis of consumer behaviour in the EU versus China, he concludes that there are similarities, including the effort to eliminate energy from Russia, in particular natural gas. As solutions, the expert proposes biomethane and hydrogen, with a completely independent value chain.
Rares Hurghis – Board Adviser, FEL Romania, also believes that decarbonization of industrial consumers can be achieved either by electrifying processes or by using green gases (such as hydrogen or biomethane), the optimal solution varying according to the specifics of each technological process. Also, a viable solution could be the extension of PPAs (Power Purchase Agreements), with the caveat that a counter-guarantee mechanism is needed to stimulate the PPA market in Romania. Recently, the Affordable Energy Plan foresaw the launch of a pilot program together with the European Investment Bank, with an indicative budget of €500 million, to partially guarantee PPAs between renewable energy producers and industrial consumers or companies,” Rares Hurghis said.
Key takeaways
- During the energy transition, traditional fossil fuels and renewables can work together. New technologies that enable hydrocarbons and renewables to work in tandem, meeting growing demand while reducing emissions, could be the solution for a sustainable future.
- Although the future energy mix may have many possible outcomes, all credible scenarios require the use of the entire range of energy sources to meet projected global demand.
- Natural gas and renewables are driving growth in Romania’s energy sector, along with the innovative potential of nuclear and hydrogen energy.
- Without denying the need for further investment in the expansion and modernization of the electricity distribution network, as well as continued investment in renewable energy sources, natural gas is undoubtedly a strategic priority for Europe and, specifically, for Romania.
Thus, in response to the dare “Drill, baby, drill, or green, baby, green?” addressed to industry professionals attending Energy Tech Day 2025, the answer was unanimous, as expected: cooperation.
