Rovinari Unit 4 Restarts for Peak Demand — NRG-IA

National Grid Receives 300 MW from Rovinari Amid Heatwave — What Happened The National Power Grid (SEN) is securing an emergency infusion of 300 MW on Monday evening through the urgent activation of Unit 4 at the Rovinari thermal power plant, according to an official announcement by the interim Minister of Energy, Cristian Bușoi. This administrative decision aims to cover a critical consumption peak estimated to reach nearly 7,000 MW tonight, as reported by Economedia. This additional coal-fired capacity comes online during a period of major vulnerability for the national grid, marked by high temperatures and limited resources. The commissioning of the power unit at Rovinari represents a direct grid-balancing measure, accelerated by national dispatchers. Ministry of Energy officials indicate that stable local production is essential to avoid major frequency imbalances in the national transmission network. The injection of the 300 MW will begin on Monday evening, providing a vital safety buffer for the National Energy Dispatcher (DEN). Reports published by G4Media confirm that the decision to start the coal-fired unit was accelerated to reduce the volume of electricity imported at high prices from European spot markets. Without this unit, Romania would have been forced to increase its reliance on cross-border flows during peak hours. Complexul Energetic Oltenia thus becomes, once again, the supplier of last resort during periods of systemic stress. Prolonged Drought on the Danube Restricts Hydroelectric Production The primary cause of this emergency mobilization is the severe and prolonged drought directly affecting river flows across the Balkan region. G4Media notes that the Danube's flow has dropped significantly below multi-annual averages, drastically limiting the output of major Romanian hydropower plants, including Iron Gates. Hidroelectrica, the largest local producer, is forced to conserve water reserves in its reservoirs to maintain long-term stability. The decline in hydroelectric generation coincides with highly volatile output from wind farms and the complete absence of solar energy during evening hours. Without wind and without solar contribution after sunset, the system faces a structural domestic production deficit precisely when residential consumption peaks. In this extreme climatic context, coal remains the only dispatchable resource capable of rapidly compensating for gaps in the energy mix. Additionally, high daytime temperatures have kept energy consumption for air conditioning elevated, pushing the load curve higher into the evening. This overlap of adverse weather factors forced authorities to call upon production capacities otherwise considered expensive and polluting. Pressure on Import Prices and National Grid Balancing The immediate consequence of starting Rovinari's Unit 4 is a partial reduction in financial pressure on Romania's balancing market. When domestic consumption exceeds available production, prices on the Day-Ahead Market (DAM) tend to rise rapidly in the evening, frequently exceeding European averages. The 300 MW produced from coal helps temper these speculative price spikes and reduces the need for emergency imports from neighboring countries. For industrial and residential consumers, this measure reduces the risk of increased transmission and distribution costs driven by emergency import purchases. However, using coal involves additional costs for purchasing CO2 emission permits, which will later be reflected in the cost structure of Complexul Energetic Oltenia. Balancing the system in the short term thus comes with a significant ecological and financial cost, accepted by authorities to avoid blackouts. Furthermore, massive evening electricity imports put pressure on Romania's cross-border interconnection capacity. By adding Rovinari's output, Transelectrica can manage energy flows more efficiently at the country's western and southern borders, reducing the risk of congestion in the regional network. Technical Limits and Persistent Climate Risks in the Grid Although starting the Rovinari unit resolves Monday evening's emergency, the structural vulnerabilities of the energy system remain unaddressed in the medium term. Romania's coal-fired power plants suffer from advanced physical wear and a lack of major modernization investments, amid decarbonization plans agreed with the European Commission. This emergency activation proves that the green transition cannot ignore the necessity of maintaining firm, dispatchable backup capacities. Regulatory authorities and Transelectrica are constantly monitoring consumption trends and weather conditions for the rest of the week. If the drought persists and internal river flows continue to decline, the system may require additional energy conservation measures or the activation of other hydrocarbon units. Monday evening's decision is only a temporary palliative in a summer marked by climate extremes and volatile prices in the…