Green gases, together with renewable energy, are the key pillars that will guide us on the road to zero carbon emissions, says Nicolas Richard, President of the French Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Romania (CCIFER).
„The energy transition is at the heart of CCIFER members' concerns, and gas plays the role of transitional energy in this complex process. Green gases, together with renewable energy, are the key pillars that will guide us on the road to zero carbon emissions”said Nicolas Richard at a CCIFER event.
„As a Member State of the European Union, Romania is actively contributing to the diversification of energy sources and to reducing its dependence on imports, especially Russian gas. This objective is supported by exploiting resources in the Black Sea and by developing interconnections with neighboring countries. At the same time, Romania is investing in basic production capacity, in exploiting its own resources, in clean energy and in technologies designed to balance the energy system. This investment mix is not just a necessity, but an essential condition for economic development, increasing industrial competitiveness and strengthening national energy security. The energy transition must be managed in such a way that it does not lead to regional imbalances or structural job losses, but, on the contrary, creates new opportunities for communities affected by the transformation of traditional industries”said Cristian Bușoi, State Secretary at the Ministry of Energy, who attended the event.
The discussions at the CCIFER event focused on the need to develop own production capacities, increase investments in renewable and nuclear energy, and the importance of reducing external dependence; the importance of working with international institutions such as the World Bank to define a competitive path towards a Net Zero economy, drawing attention to the risk of losing European funds without rapid action; the role of natural gas and new technologies - biomethane, hydrogen and carbon capture - as complementary solutions in the decarbonization process.
It also talked about the need for a pragmatic approach in the energy transition, allowing Romania to capitalize on its natural gas as a basic resource and to integrate biomethane and renewable energy as essential pillars of energy transformation; the need for realistic and competitive solutions, highlighting the importance of investments in the exploitation of the Black Sea resources and storage technologies; Romania's significant potential in biogas and biomethane production, as well as the need to develop infrastructure for transportation and use of carbon capture.
The debates also focused on the role of PPAs (Power Purchase Agreements) as strategic instruments to stabilize energy costs and increase the competitiveness of companies, as well as their complexity in a volatile market environment; the contribution of the insurance market to support investments in energy projects and emerging technologies, by developing solutions adapted to the new risks generated by the energy transition; the challenges of the logistics sector in the decarbonization process, including the need to implement biomethane and electrification solutions, as well as the importance of creating collaborative ecosystems that allow cost sharing and efficient investments.
Founded in 1996, the French Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Romania (CCIFER) is one of the most representative business organizations in the country, bringing together a community of over 600 members - companies, NGOs and universities - and being part of a global network of 120 chambers in 98 countries.