Development Minister: Only 40% of Romanians have access to the natural gas network

Only approximately 40% of Romania’s population currently has access to the natural gas network, Development Minister Marcel-Alexandru Stoica said on Monday at the inauguration of a network in Luncavița commune, Tulcea County. The minister said that the “Anghel Saligny” National Investment Programme is the only government programme that includes a component dedicated to expanding gas networks for household consumers.

In Luncavița commune, distribution networks with a total length of 35 kilometres were built through this programme, serving the villages of Luncavița and Rachelu. Residents of the two villages can connect to the new infrastructure, but the cost of service connections is a difficulty for some families.

The investment began in 2022, based on a feasibility study carried out previously, and involved several administrative and financial stages. The minister said that changes to the proposed solutions, the number of service connections and payment planning affected the project’s implementation.

Marcel Stoica also visited two homes connected to the network. According to data from the territorial branch of the Association of Communes of Romania, more than 15 administrative-territorial units in Tulcea County have been included in the Development Ministry’s programme.