Ișalnița thermal plant closes permanently

During a meeting with the trade unions, Energy Minister Bogdan Ivan announced that the Ișalnița coal-fired thermal power plant will cease operations at the beginning of 2026, Radio Oltenia reported. The facility in Dolj County, part of the Oltenia Energy Complex, will be permanently closed on 1 January 2026.

Present at the discussions, the president of the Craiova Energy Union, Gelă Ionescu, stated that he had proposed several options, including keeping the Ișalnița unit in conservation, but all were rejected.

Employees with fixed-term contracts will be sent home, while energy workers with permanent contracts will be reassigned to the Turceni and Rovinari thermal power plants.

Out of the eight blocks of the plant, only one was still operational, and since 2024, it has been mothballed.

Meanwhile, the Romanian Ministry of Energy plans to delay the decommissioning of some of the coal-fired plants that are still operational.