Energy Ministers Discuss Energy Development in the Region

Jerusalem, 25 April, 2023 (TPS) -- SOFIA, 25.04.2023 (BTA)
Energy ministers discussed the development of the energy sector in the region during the international conference Energy for a Green Future, which takes place on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Sofia Event Centre.

Romania’s Energy Minister Virgil Daniel-Popescu said his country is committed to achieving full decarbonization by 2050. To this end, Romania will stop generating electricity from coal, relying on natural gas as a transitional fuel. Romania is also actively developing renewable energy both onshore and offshore. There is also active work on the introduction of hydrogen power generation. Nuclear energy is also not being bypassed and is enshrined in Romania’s energy strategy.

Slovakia’s Economy Minister Karel Hirman believes that one of the biggest challenges facing the energy sector is that there must be predictable sources of electricity generation. It is not easy or cheap to store electricity. Therefore, there must be capacity that is able to meet consumption. He said that the weather conditions from October to April show that sunny days during this period are insufficient. Nuclear power is therefore the logical response to these challenges, Hirman pointed out. This year, another nuclear reactor will come on line in Slovakia and thus nearly 80 percent of the country’s electricity will be generated by nuclear power plants. Another nuclear reactor is also expected to come on line.

Turkiye’s Deputy Minister of Energy and Energy Resources Alparslan Bayraktar explained that his country is investing in wind and solar energy. However, without nuclear power, it is impossible to achieve carbon neutrality, Bayraktar said. Large nuclear plants are needed, but so are small modular reactors. Natural gas must be a transitional fuel. That is why investments are being made in gas infrastructure. Investments in onshore and offshore gas production are planned, the Turkish Deputy Energy Minister added. Regional cooperation is important for good energy development in the region.