Romania’s industry is a key contributor to the national economy, as well as a major emitter of carbon dioxide. Key heavy industries, including steel, cement, and chemicals production, will require a substantial transformation in order to meet emissions targets and remain competitive in a low-carbon world. On the other hand, the current regulatory framework and political landscape around industrial decarbonisation is fragmented and lacks leadership, compounding the existing challenges of high costs, long timelines, and lack of infrastructure for low-carbon industrial processes and technologies.

This project aims to provide a roadmap for decarbonising Romania’s heavy industry, with a focus on the steel sector. Through the elaboration of policy recommendations (including a case study on decarbonising primary steel production) and stakeholder engagement with industry and national authorities, it has contributed to the national discussion on priorities for industrial transformation and to the knowledge base on feasible pathways for industrial decarbonisation in Romania’s steel sector. As part of the project, the first ever stakeholder platform for industrial decarbonisation in Romania was set up and managed by EPG.

Luciana Miu