Several Romanian MPs intend to change the current legislation and allow coal-fired power plants to reopen under certain conditions. One of the initiators of this draft, signed by 30 members of parliament, is former Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja, who is currently a member of parliament for the National Liberal Party (PNL) and honorary advisor to Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan.

The continued exploitation of coal—hard coal and lignite—will enable the construction or recommissioning of thermal power plants. However, this would only happen in certain cases, such as those caused by extreme crisis situations, for example, war, major natural disasters, etc. However, the draft makes no reference to the source of the money to be invested.

After committing to an aggressive decarbonization plan, authorities in Bucharest are only now realizing that they have rushed headlong into a potentially major disaster.

The Green Deal program is proving to be extremely costly for Romania, both financially and in terms of the country’s energy security. Traditional electricity generation facilities were shut down, mines were closed, and photovoltaic and solar power plants were built in their place.

However, at present, it is clear that they are unable to fill the gap left by coal.

 

Provisions of Government Emergency Ordinance No. 108/2022

Government Emergency Ordinance 108/2022, which transposes Romania’s climate commitments to the European Union regarding the decarbonization of the energy system, stipulates: “The commissioning of new lignite or hard coal-fired electricity generation capacities is prohibited, with the exception of capacities for which licenses/permits were issued prior to the entry into force of this emergency ordinance.” In this respect, the legislation is very clear, but the new draft comes with a number of exceptions.

The project’s initiators point out that, financially, investments in the coal and lignite industry, as well as in clean combustion technologies, can bring significant economic benefits, not only through the sale of the energy produced, but also through job creation and support for technological development.

“The draft legislation regulates measures to ensure Romania’s national security in the context of crises, extraordinary situations, and exceptional situations, aspects that are not subject to European Union law, being the exclusive responsibility of each member state, according to Article 4, last sentence, of the Treaty on European Union,” the explanatory memorandum to the draft states.

 

Retrofitting, mandatory before reopening

“In conclusion, the exploitation of hard coal and lignite for energy purposes not only provides a solid basis for Romania’s energy policy, but, in the context of Romanian emergency law, it represents a cornerstone for the country’s ability to respond, adapt, and recover in the face of unforeseen events or major crises,” states the explanatory memorandum to the draft legislation registered by the 30 parliamentarians.

According to the draft, the commissioning of coal mines and power plants will still be possible, provided that the so-called Best Available Techniques – BAT, defined by the EU Directive on industrial emissions as “the most effective and advanced stage in the development of activities and their methods of operation, which indicates the practical possibility of certain techniques serving as a reference for setting emission limit values and other authorization conditions, designed to prevent and, where that is not possible, to reduce emissions and the impact on the environment as a whole.” This may even mean reopening thermal power plants that have been closed. The process of retrofitting them is a long and very expensive one, and the companies that own them don’t have the necessary funds.

On the other hand, major international banks are no longer financing investments in coal-fired power capacity, let alone coal mines. And from this point of view, retrofitting these capacities seems impossible without further explanations from the initiators.

Of course, there is also the question of time, because this is a lengthy process, and following the model of the gas-fired power plants Romania plans to build, the process can be subject to major delays.

 

Eight exceptions to the commissioning of new lignite or hard coal-fired power capacities

The draft introduces no less than eight exceptions to the commissioning of new lignite or hard coal-fired electricity generation capacities, many of which relate to national security and Romania’s ability to withstand possible aggression or other extreme situations.

For the purpose of building up reserves of lignite, hard coal, peat and anthracite for mobilization and war For the purpose of preparing, securing, and organizing the necessary energy resources in the event of a state of emergency or siege For the purpose of preventing and combating threats to national security For the purpose of establishing and securing energy resources, services necessary to support defence efforts, as well as material resources necessary in the event of a partial or total mobilization of the armed forces and a state of war.

The explanatory memorandum also invokes the fact that energy security is considered, according to the legislation in force, a component of national security, as well as the case law of the Constitutional Court, which provides that economic balance and stability are part of the concept of national security.

The production of coal “in stock” for emergency situations is also justified by the commitments made by NATO member states in the alliance’s Strategic Concept, adopted in Madrid in June 2022: “We will increase our energy security and invest in stable and reliable energy supplies, suppliers and sources.”

 

Criticism of coal-fired power plant closures

Energy Minister Bogdan Ivan is categorical and claims that in the absence of coal-fired power plants, Romania risks running out of electricity. He said recently that the closure of coal-fired power plants, introduced in the NRRP, was a mistake. “In 2020-2021, when the negotiations on the NRRP took place, Romania assumed the most aggressive decarbonization target in the whole European Union. You should ask the people who decided that. Officials said it was the decision of the MIPE (Ministry of European Investments and Projects – ed.). I said it directly and clearly (…), we reached an almost impossible situation last year at the Ministry of Energy, when coal-fired power plants had to be closed by December 31, because Romania received EUR 1.8 billion to build new gas-to-power and photovoltaic power plants with storage to replace coal-fired power plants. We took the money, it went into the Ministry of Finance’s accounts, it was used for all sorts of things, and the energy projects remained on paper,” the Energy Minister told DCNews. “(…) And we ended up in a situation where the European Commission told us, yes, keep the coal-fired power plants, but pay back the EUR 1.8 billion penalty because you didn’t use that money to replace the power plants,” Bogdan Ivan added. The official also emphasized that “it was a political decision of Romania to set this target for 2025, compared to Poland, which did it until 2049, and Germany – until 2039.”

 

Romania’s coal production is declining

Romania’s coal production registered a decrease in the first 11 months of 2025, confirming the downward trend of this energy sector. The latest data published by the National Institute of Statistics (INS) during January 2026 show that both domestic production and imports are decreasing, amid the energy transition and the commissioning of new energy production capacities.

Coal production totalled 1.724 million tons of oil equivalent (toe) in January-November 2025. The level is 2.1% lower than the same period in 2024, a decrease of about 37,600 toe. This reflects the gradual reduction in the use of coal in the national energy mix, in the context of decarbonization policies and the increasing costs associated with this type of fuel. Coal imports declined more sharply than domestic production. In the first 11 months of 2025, Romania imported 79,200 toe of coal, 99,900 toe less than in the same period in 2024.

The percentage decrease is 55.8%, indicating a significant decrease in dependence on coal from external sources. The reduction in imports is correlated with both a decrease in consumption and a shift to other energy sources.

 

Decrease in production and imports continues until 2027

According to the latest Energy Balance Forecast, published this time by the National Commission for Strategy and Forecast (CNSP), the downward trend in coal production and imports will continue until 2027.

Estimates point to a cumulative reduction of 11.4% in production and 24.5% in imports as new energy production capacity becomes operational.

For the full year 2025, the CNSP estimates a production of 1.718 million toe, down 10.5%.

In 2026, production would reach 1.555 million toe, minus 9.5%, and in 2027, 1.432 million toe, a reduction of 7.9%. And imports are forecast to fall significantly in the coming years. In 2025, they would fall by 20.5% to 164,000 toe. A decrease of 26.3% is estimated for 2026, to 121,000 toe, and in 2027 imports could fall to 79,000 toe, 34.4% less.