OMV Petrom contributes 4 million euro to support ”Romania Eficienta” program launched by EPG, aiming to promote energy efficiency

OMV Petrom, the largest player on the Romanian energy market, endorses the Energy Policy Group (EPG) "Romania Eficienta" program. OMV Petrom will contribute 4 million euro to this program in the period 2019-2022. The program aims to promote energy efficiency at the national level, through public information campaigns, education programs and financing of projects aimed at improving the energy efficiency of public buildings.

"Every day, OMV Petrom provides energy for Romania. Our mission goes beyond that, as part of Romania we look to contribute to causes that are relevant to the country. We believe energy efficiency is one of these causes and Romania Eficienta can enable more responsible consumption and therefore lower costs and reduced impact on environment. Energy efficiency measures can lead to a 40% reduction in consumption. It’s important to see this program move forward" said Christina Verchere, CEO of OMV Petrom.

Radu Dudău, EPG Director, said "Over 80% of the buildings in Romania are built before 1989 and have a low energy performance with yearly consumption between 180 and 400 kWh per sqm. By extensive renovation, energy consumption can decrease below 100 kW per sqm, which can lead to significant savings. It is important for the public to become aware of energy waste and to have access to information on increasing the energy efficiency of buildings".

With adequate thermal insulation and by implementing efficient heating solutions, the energy consumption of a building can be reduced significantly. Replacing incandescent light bulbs with LEDs can reduce power consumption for lighting by up to four times.

Within the "Romania Eficienta" program, education and information campaigns will be organized. Thus, the general public and local authorities, who manage a large number of buildings of public interest, will have access to information on practical energy-saving solutions that reduce utility bills and environmental impact. In addition, a practical energy efficiency guide and energy efficiency trainings will be developed for public authorities’ representatives. Also, at a later stage, projects will be financed to increase the energy efficiency of public buildings through extensive renovation.

The National Regulatory Authority for Energy (ANRE), the Polytechnic University of Bucharest (UPB) and the Romanian Standards Association (ASRO) have joined this program.

UPB will contribute by providing fundamental technical and engineering knowledge through studies conducted within the "Romania Eficienta" project, as well as through educational and training programs. ASRO will develop energy performance standards for public buildings.

ANRE, through the Energy Efficiency Department, will actively support the initiative by attending the relevant events, by disseminating and promoting the information and results of this initiative in meetings organized by ANRE, as well as in the informative materials produced by the Energy Efficiency Department.

Energy efficiency is part of OMV Petrom’s sustainability strategy and supports the sustainable development goal -“Affordable and clean energy - SDG 7” set by the United Nations. The United Nations's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is the agenda agreed globally for sustainable development and addresses key areas such as education, climate change, reducing poverty.