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Romania can use more bioenergy

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Norsk Energi has recently collaborated with the Green Energy Innovative Biomass Cluster to promote bioenergy use in Romania.

Romania is a country that we in Norway know little about, but nevertheless, this country has an interesting energy and environmental perspective. The energy consumption is on the same level as in Norway, but it mainly relies on coal, oil and gas (84 %).
None-fossil energy consumption is dominated by hydropower and nuclear power, while bioenergy accounts for less than 2 %.

Many experts believe that Romania has the potential to extend its use of bioenergy in the district heating sector, service industry and in residential buildings. There is an opportunity to increase the use of wood waste from industrial processes, utilization of wood chips and pellets from woody biomass and straw from the agriculture. Geographically, significant potential exists in Transylvania, a region in the central part of Romania, which is rich of mountains and forests.

Our Romanian partner, Green Energy Innovative Biomass Cluster has an office in Gheorghe, Transylvania. The organization was established in 2011 with the aim of increasing the use of bioenergy by promoting cooperation between local authorities, universities, research communities and commercial actor. Green Energy Innovative Biomass Cluster has invited Norsk Energi to participate in a knowledge exchange project funded by the EEA Grants / Norway Grants. The main focus of our joint project was the increased use of bioenergy in small remote municipalities in Transylvania, and in June, meetings were held with municipal authorities in the villages Belin, Moieciu and Vama Buzaului.

A delegation from Romania visited Norway in August 2017. The delegation discussed future bioenergy cooperation with Innovation Norway, Nobio, NVE and Norsk Energi, and visited the bioenergy facility at Kjelsås School, Statkraft Heat Heating Center at Ås and Oslofjord Heat pellet boiler at The State Center for Epilepsy in Bærum.

Bioenergidelegasjon fra Romania på besøk hos Innovasjon Norge i august i år. Fra venstre: Direktør Lajos Vajda i Green Energy Innovative Biomass Cluster, avdelingsleder Stine Torstensen i Norsk Energi, Olav Bardalen som er Klyngerådgiver i Region Øst i Innovasjon Norge, entreprenør Sandor Bartha, programdirektør for EEA/Norway Grants i Innovasjon Norge Anne Lise Rognlidalen og internasjonal koordinator Boglarka Vajda i Green Energy Innovative Biomass Cluster. Bioenergy Delegation from Romania visiting Innovation Norway in August this year. From left: Director Lajos Vajda in Green Energy Innovative Biomass Cluster, Stine Torstensen, Department of Norwegian Energy, Olav Bardalen, Cluster Advisor in Region East in Innovation Norway, entrepreneur Sandor Bartha, Program Director of EEA / Norway Grants in Innovation Norway Anne Lise Rognlidalen and International Coordinator Boglarka Vajda in Green Energy Innovative Biomass Cluster.

Entreprenør Sandor Bartha ( i midten) eier og driver flere containerbaserte bioenergianlegg i Transylvania. Her viser han stolt frem ett av disse anleggene til Hans Borchsenius (tv) og Sergei Faschevsky (th) i Norsk Energi. Entrepreneur Sandor Bartha (in the middle) owns and operates several container-based bioenergy facility in Transylvania. Here he proudly presents one of these facilities to Hans Borchsenius (left) and Sergei Faschevsky (right) from Norsk Energi. 

Energiforbruket i Romania domineres av kull, olje, gass, vannkraft og atomkraft. Bioenergiandelen er under 2 %. Energy consumption in Romania is dominated by coal, oil, gas, hydropower and nuclear power. The share of bioenergy is below 2 %.