Intellinews - Romania Energy Report - March 2012

Additional Information

The energy sector reforms calendar is very dense and it includes the privatisation of key assets and public offerings [IPOs or SPOs] in most of the state’s companies. The state pulling out from the power generation sector and other key companies is expected to encourage private investors increase their involvement. The government will also draft the liberalisation of the electricity and natural gas markets and further encourage investments. The mining- power generation companies, formed recently by the re-arranging of the viable mines with coal-fired power plant and accounting for some 30% of the country’s electricity, will be fully privatised. The state will also sell 10% stakes in key power generation companies Nuclearelectrica and Hidroelectrica and 15% in gas producer Romgaz. It will possibly will try again sell 10% in OMV Petrom. The electricity market liberalisation calendar was already sketched, but the major challenges are related to the natural gas market particularly given the lack of competition on the supply side.