Romania's prime minister Marcel Ciolacu, on September 24, met representatives of OMV Petrom, whom he assured of the government's support for the Neptun Deep offshore project that was finally launched after years of hesitations and expects to see the first drillings by the end of the year.

The project faces hurdles from environmental groups concerned with the impact of possible accidents at the extraction site, particularly in the context of the war in Ukraine, which asked in court for the cancelation of the environmental permit.

Most recently, Greenpeace Romania activists protested last week at the Neptun Deep construction site at the end of the Tuzla-Podișor pipeline, which is supposed to bring the natural gas from Neptun Deep to the national gas grid. They insist that the Neptun Deep project has not received all the necessary permits; hence, the construction of the pipeline makes no sense.

"This raises serious questions about the independence and validity of the approval process," according to Greenpeace.

"The government will continue to support this project firmly, considering the benefits brought to Romania and the Romanians. In the amount of EUR 4 billion, this investment will ensure the necessary energy for the citizens and the national economy and make Romania an important player in the European market," said prime minister Marcel Ciolacu.

Greenpeace has asked the Bucharest Court to suspend the environmental permit for the Neptun Deep project, which "raises serious concerns related to environmental protection, climate change, and compliance with the law."

The NGO accuses the Constanta Environmental Protection Agency of having issued the document without fully complying with the procedures.

iulian@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Gov.ro)