The request is part of a set of proposals for economic development of the Jiu Valley sent by the miners’ representatives to the Prime Minister Ludovic Orban and Minister of Economy and Energy Virgil Popescu. The leaders of the miners’ union from Jiu Valley requested the Government to hasten the establishment of Energy Complex (EC) Valea Jiului, which would include the Lupeni, Lonea, Livezeni and Vulcan coalmines.
The miners’ representatives call swift establishment of EC Valea Jiului comprising of four coalmines currently operated by insolvent EC Hunedoara and coal-fired thermal power plant Paroseni where a new gas-fired unit will be built, as well as a small hydropower plant, considering the dam on the Baleia stream in the Vulcan mountain. Also, the miners from Valea Jiului request the adoption of the Memorandum by which the Lupeni and Lonea mines will operate according to the study made by the Polish Mining Research Institute GIG, at the indication of the European Commission, which reveals that the two mining operations must operate for another 6 years to secure the open reserves. A third proposal is aimed at the adoption of the new Mining Law by the end of the year and the fourth envisages the approval of the energy strategy at national level.
Minister of Economy and Energy Virgil Popescu said that insolvent EC Hunedoara will be split into two separate companies and the process will be completed in September.
