Energy, Climate Changes, COVID-19: Romanian answers

Abstract

The EU's energy and climate change concerns have materialized in the last years in launching 2020-2030 strategic initiatives. The Plan Up project seeks to monitor this area. Each EU member must implement its own plan (NECP) structured on 5 main dimensions: energy security, decarbonization, energy efficiency, internal energy market, research-innovation-competitiveness. Romania is committed to reducing CO2 emissions by over 43%, to increasing energy efficiency by over 37% and to promote renewable energy to reach approx. 28% of the portfolio (97% for the rail transport sector). The impact of COVID-19 must be immediately included in the NECP and seen as an opportunity and the NECP, adapted accordingly. The paper presents this Project and the potential Romanian contribution in the Transport Sector, a sector currently in a massive reorientation (electric cars, encouraging public transport, anti-Diesel offensive, etc.) and the most severely affected by COVID-19. The vast Romanian experience in the use of dimethyl-ether (DME) as an ecological substitute for diesel is presented, which would dramatically reduce the need for investments in the conversion of the current fleet of diesel vehicles. DME is also as a C3-C4 fraction substitute (CFC), in sprays, refrigerant agent in refrigerators, etc. Examples of applications of the proposed solution are given (USA, Scandinavia). The advantages of DME would be that it can be synthesized from renewable sources (municipal, agricultural waste), thus adding value to waste and improving the energy resources balance of Romania and the EU. The paper also seeks an objective critique of the (not so-)miracle solution of electromobility.