Romania’s energy market opens to foreign gas traders

The OPCOM trading platforms will be available to foreign gas producers once the energy law no. 123/2012 will be modified. Romanian Government will send the Parliament a draft law in this regard, most likely in October, in order to upgrade it as per the EU Rules, according to Romanian Minister of Energy, Constantin Nita.

‘Our aim is to become a regional energetic pole. We want the OPCOM energy stock exchange to become a regional one.(...) And we will allow other gas suppliers outside Romania to trade gas in Romania' said Nita during Bucharest Forum 2013.

Considering the prices on the energy market, Nita anticipates that Romania will turn into an attractive market to foreign gas producers. Therefore, the new national energy strategy, that is going to be finalized next year, will be focused especially on market, not on production as before.

'It will change the approach regarding natural gas sale on the Romanian market, where there are two players, Petrom and Romgaz, but we will give producers from other countries the possibility to come and negotiate gas sale on local market.’ added Nita.

At this point, Petrom and Romgaz are the largest gas suppliers in Romania, having a market share of 90%.