OMV Petrom continues to support promoting energy efficiency in Romania

• OMV Petrom supports with EUR 4 mn a new phase of the România Eficientă program, carried out by EPG  
• Two public school buildings will be renovated to almost zero energy consumption standards (nZEB) 

OMV Petrom continues to promote energy efficiency of buildings and supports with EUR 4 mn a new phase of România Eficientă program, launched in 2019 in partnership with EPG. The program includes financing for renovation projects in order to increase the energy performance of public buildings, as well as education programs and public information campaigns about energy efficiency in buildings.

Christina Verchere, CEO of OMV Petrom: “To ensure a sustainable energy future, our energy consumption must be responsible and efficient. This is also the purpose of this program, to show how, through energy efficiency, all of us can eliminate waste and contribute to a cleaner environment. Romania Eficientă has proved it can make a difference and we’ll continue to support it.”

Radu Dudău, Energy Policy Group Director and coordination of România Eficientă program: “After an excessively hot summer that raised the need for our homes to protect us from the extreme effects of global warming, the cold season with high energy bills shows us how important it is to have a comfortable and energy-efficient living space, to protect us from the cold with a minimum consumption of primary energy. The lessons offered by the România Eficientă have thus become extremely up-to-date and valuable. We are glad to be able to share with the public relevant knowledge about energy saving and to create in Romania modern studying conditions for an increasing number of pupils, while also educating them in the spirit of energy efficiency.”

Through this new phase of the România Eficientă program, two educational units in Ovidiu (Constanța county) and Drobeta-Turnu Severin (Mehedinți county) will be rehabilitated and modernized in order to be brought to an almost zero energy consumption standard (nZEB). The renovation includes the thermal insulation of the external walls, the terrace and the flooring with energy-efficient materials, the complete makeover of the existing woodwork by replacing it with an energy-efficient one, equipping with modern lighting systems and putting in place energy generation equipment from renewable sources.

The first phases of the project mainly consisted of educational activities, research-documentation, drafting articles and public dissemination of information about energy efficiency in buildings. They also included the renovation to nZEB standards of two public schools in Ploiești and Băicoi. In April this year, the renovation works were completed at the Energetic Technological High School "Elie Radu" in Ploiești, and in September 2022, the modernization works were started at the "Liliești" Secondary School in Băicoi.

Between June 2019 and November 2022, within the România Eficientă project, the following actions were carried out:

• studies, reports and policy papers regarding the policies and regulations specific to energy efficiency in buildings, the multiple benefits of investment projects in this sector, as well as the available financing programs;
• the completion and launch of the Energy Efficiency Calculator, an online application for calculating energy savings in residential buildings in Romania;
• the organization of three editions of the Efficient Romania Forum, an international conference dedicated to energy efficiency in buildings, which has become an annual landmark at the South-Eastern European level both for experts and regional industries, as well as for national and European authorities;
• organizing education and information campaigns in universities and schools. 

About România Eficientă

România Eficientă is a private project of national scope carried out by Energy Policy Group (EPG) in partnership with and with financing from OMV Petrom. The project started in  summer of 2019 and consists of carrying out a national program for promotion of energy efficiency. România Eficientă aims to support the achievement of Romania’s targets for 2030 with regards to the reduction of carbon emissions and the increase in energy efficiency, both by awareness and education campaigns, as well as by the achievement of concrete major renovation projects in public schools from various regions of the country. You can find more details on the website romania-eficienta.ro.

About OMV Petrom

OMV Petrom is the largest integrated energy company in South-Eastern Europe, with an annual Group hydrocarbon production of approximately 47 million boe in 2021. The Group has a refining capacity of 4.5 million tons annually and operates an 860 MW high-efficiency power plant. The Group is present on the oil products retail market in Romania and neighboring countries through approximately 790 filling stations under two brands – OMV and Petrom. 

OMV Petrom shares are traded on the Bucharest Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange. OMV Aktiengesellschaft, one of the largest listed industrial companies in Austria, holds a 51% stake in OMV Petrom. The Romanian State, through the Ministry of Energy, holds 21% of OMV Petrom shares, and 28% is owned by natural and legal persons.

OMV Petrom is the largest contributor to the state budget, with approximately 35 billion euro in taxes and dividends paid between 2005 and 2021. During the same period, the company invested approximately 17 billion euro.

Since 2007, OMV Petrom has included corporate responsibility principles into its business strategy. Between 2007 and 2021, the company has allocated over 80 million euro to develop communities in Romania, focusing on environmental protection, education, health, and local development. 

On July 29th, 2020, OMV Petrom announced its support for the recommendations issued by the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) regarding risks and opportunities on climate change.

About Energy Policy Group

Energy Policy Group Association (EPG) is an independent and non-profit think-tank, specialized in energy and climate policies, market analysis and energy strategy, founded in 2014. The regional focus of its activity is South-East Europe, but EPG pays a greater attention to the wider context of European policies and global trends, in the attempt to promote a constructive dialogue among the decision-makers and the general public. 

EPG pleads for an advanced energy system from technological point of view, sustainable and socially acceptable. Also, EPG promotes long-term decarbonation policies and actions in all the economic fields, with emphasis on energy sector.