Romania's electricity consumption dropped by 8.8% y/y to 12.7TWh in Q1 while the production rose by 5.4% y/y to 15.7TWh, the statistics office INS announced. This resulted in the trade balance swinging from 662MWh net imports in Q1 last year to 1.43TW surplus in the first three months this year.

Gross exports have more than doubled to 3.1TWh.

Bulgaria was one of the main markets for Romania's electricity. Particularly, Hidroelectrica managed to successfully compete with the coal-fired power plants in Bulgaria – where the production contracted by 20% y/y, much faster than the consumption (-5.7% y/y).

Regarding Romania's production structure, the hydropower plants' output surged by 40% on low base effects to 4.73TWh in Q1 (30% of total), while the wind farms generated 2.43TWh (-3% y/y) and the PV parks another 0.3TWh (-15% y/y). However, the thermal power plants still made the largest contribution: 5.22TWh (-7.3% y/y).

Cernavoda nuclear plant's 3TWh of electricity generated in Q1 accounted for 19% of total production.

On the utilisation side, households reduced consumption by 15% and companies by 6.4% y/y. Public lighting used 30% less electricity in Q1.

iulian@romania-insider.com

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