Author: Alexandru Popescu

The Federation of Romanian Transport Operators (FORT) calls on the Romanian Government to urgently adopt measures to limit the impact of the oil price increase on fuels, including the partial return of excise tax to transporters, the temporary reduction of excise tax on diesel and the consideration of a fuel price cap, according to a statement. „In the context of geopolitical tensions and the volatility of international energy markets, there is a risk of an accelerated increase in the price of fuel at the pump, which would generate negative knock-on effects on the transportation sector, logistics costs and, implicitly, the prices of goods and services in the economy,” the statement said. FORT therefore calls on the Romanian Government to adopt...

PPC Group and METLEN, leading Greek companies in the power sector in Greece and the wider region, have signed a Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) to set up a joint venture in which each party will hold a 50% stake. The purpose of the joint venture is to develop, construct and operate a portfolio of BESS (Battery Energy Storage Systems) projects with a capacity of up to 1,500 MW / 3,000 MWh in Romania, Bulgaria and Italy, of which 1,000 MW are expected to be deployed in the next 12 months. Battery systems will be used for the construction of these storage stations...

After the prices of oil, gas and refined derivatives recorded double-digit increases in just a few days, in some cases exceeding 20%, analysts fear a hyperinflationary wave that will particularly affect emerging economies in the affected areas. On Wednesday, March 3, FTT prices in long-term contracts showed an increase of 18-20% since the start of the conflict, while those on the Romanian Commodities Exchange (BRM) - one of around 17%, according to figures consulted by Industrynews.ro. Given that Romania ended 2025 again with an inflation of 9.7% per year, it is hard to believe...

Qognifly, a Romanian deep-tech company specialized in autonomous drone counter autonomous systems (C-UAS), announces the public launch and the entry into a new phase of consolidation for Drone Wall, an integrated architecture for detection, tracking and interception, developed by Romanian engineers and validated under operational conditions. In parallel, the company already has a portfolio of mature UAV platforms on the market - Class 1 (mini) tactical ISR UAVs, Class 1 (small) hybrid (17h+ endurance) and electric fixed-wing Class 1 (small) platforms, 50 kg+ payload cargo UAVs and commercial anti-hail solutions - delivered so far in over 16 countries, according to the company's...

Libra Internet Bank has signed a risk-sharing agreement of up to €40 million with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) under the InvestEU program. The partnership allows Libra Internet Bank to provide green financing totaling €50 million, with a guarantee of 80% provided by the EBRD, applicable nationwide, regardless of location, area or region, especially for energy efficiency and sustainable transport, according to a statement. „The partnership between Libra Internet Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to finance green projects in Romania reconfirms the strong commitment that...

Despite being one of the few oil producers in the European Union, Romania also imports fuel in large quantities, according to data provided by the National Institute of Statistics at the request of HotNews. Over 77% of the crude oil processed in Romania is imported. To be more precise, a total of about 11.4 million tons of crude oil arrived in Romania's refineries last year, according to the National Institute of Statistics. Of this amount, Romania's crude oil production accounted for 2.5 million tons, Hotnews reports. But to cover domestic consumption of petroleum products, Romania imported more than 8.9 million tons of crude oil. In other words, Romania imported...

Benchmark gas prices in Europe rose by 40% on Tuesday midday to the highest level since 2023 to date, amid uncertainty about the length of the shutdown of the world's largest liquefied-gas export facility in Qatar and its effects on global energy supplies, Bloomberg reports. At around 12:09 p.m. at the TTF gas hub in Amsterdam, where European benchmark prices are set, natural gas futures quotes were up 40% to 62.10 euros per Megawatt-hour (MWh), according to Agerpres. It is a...

Falcon Defense, part of the Falcon Group, announces its official entry into the Romanian market with the launch of an integrated production platform for energetic materials and artillery ammunition, backed by firm contracts worth €253 million for deliveries in 2026. The contracts will be honored through the group's existing network of production facilities in Europe and Asia, demonstrating immediate industrial capability in a context of accelerating demand for ammunition and energetic materials in the European space. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has prompted the European Union to accelerate the expansion of production capacities in the defense industry and...

While Energy Minister Bogdan Ivan announced that gas market offers for households were 18-23% above the capped level of 0.31 lei/kWh, which is why the regulated zone will be maintained after March 31, benchmark gas prices in Europe, which were already recording sharp increases on Monday morning, exploded. The market reacted violently after Qatar's state-owned energy company QatarEnergy announced it was halting liquefied gas production following an Iranian drone strike, AFP reports, according to Agerpres. Around 12:30 GMT at the TTF gas hub in Amsterdam,...

The European Commission has opened an in-depth investigation to assess whether the changes proposed by Romania to the restructuring plan of the electricity company CE Oltenia are in line with EU state aid rules. In January 2022, the Commission conditionally approved €2.66 billion (RON 13.15 billion) of restructuring aid conditionally approved by Romania for CE Oltenia, supporting the company's restructuring plan for the period 2021-2026. The Commission approved the restructuring aid on the basis of the Guidelines on State aid for rescuing and restructuring non-financial firms in difficulty („the Rescue and Restructuring Guidelines”). Commission investigation In December...