Regional profile : Gorj county, Romania.
Date: 2024-08-27
Institutions: Directorate-General for Energy
Subjects: EU initiative, Gorj, Romania, coal industry, green economy, industrial conversion, industrial region, regional economy, renewable energy, report, sustainable development, technical cooperation

Regional Profile 
Gorj county,
Romania 

Initiative for coal regions in transition 

EUROPEAN COMMISSION 
Directorate-General for Energy
Directorate B – Just Transition, Consumers, Energy Security, Efficiency 
and Innovation
Unit B.1 - Consumers, Local Initiatives, Just Transition

EC-ENER-JUST-TRANSITION@ec.europa.eu 

European Commission
B-1049 Brussels

ISBN: 978-92-68-19824-7

 doi: 10.2833/39095 

MJ-02-24-839-EN-N 

Manuscript completed in July 2024 

1st edition 
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R E G I O N A L   P R O F I L E 
  

Gorj county, 
Romania 

G E N E R A L   I N F O R M AT I O N  

Country: Romania 

Region Name: Gorj county 

Region NUTS2 code: RO41 - Sud-Vest 
Oltenia 

Region NUTS3 code: RO412 - Gorj 

Main urban centres in the region1:  

Târgu Jiu (73,545) 

Motru (15,950) 

Rovinari (10,246) 

Turceni (6,891) 

Rismana (6,359) 

1.   City population – Romania National Institute of Statistics Census 2021. As of 1 May 2024: https://www.citypopulation.de/en/romania/localities/gorj/  

INITIATIVE FOR COAL REGIONS IN TRANSITION4 

Regional socio-economic profile 

General description of the socio­
economic profile of the region 

Together with four other countries, Gorj is located in 
the region of Southwest Oltenia. Next to Hunedoara 
country (Jiu Valley), Gorj is one of the two main coal 
regions in Romania. It has a population of 311,298 
inhabitants (2023) – corresponding to 1.6% of the 
total Romanian and 17% of the total Sud-Vest Oltenia 
population – and steadily decreasing in the last decades 
(from 334,849 in 2014).2,3 Gorj is a rural county with a 
population density of 56.3 persons/km2 as compared 
to the national average of 81.3 persons/km2.4  

Compared to national averages, unemployment rates 
in Gorj County are similar – 3% in Romania and 3.5% 

in Gorj County, while the unemployment rate in Sud-
Vest	 Oltenia	 is	 significantly	 higher	 (5.6%)	 in	 20225. This 
shows	 a	 decrease	 as	 compared	 to	 five	 years	 earlier	 with	 
unemployment rates of 6.3%, 7.3% and 4% in Gorj, the 
region and the country, respectively.6 The most important 
sectors in terms of employment are wholesale and 
retail trade (14.6%), manufacturing (11.9%), mining 
and quarrying (10.5% - of which 8.8% account for 
coal and lignite mining – decreased from 18.8% since 
2008). While wholesale/retail and manufacturing are 
even more prominent at the regional level of Sud-Vest 
Oltenia and national level (around 17% for wholesale 
retail and above 20% for manufacturing), employment 
in the area of mining and quarrying is much lower (2.5% 
in Sud-Vest Oltenia and 0,8% in Romania as a whole).7  
Nevertheless, GDP per capita in Gorj is almost as high as 
the national average (€11,400 vs €12,480) and higher 
than the regional average in Sud-Vest Oltenia (€9,500).8,9 

Regional coal industry profile 

Coal mining 
Type of coal
(e.g. hard, lignite/brown, peat, oil shale) 

Type of coal extraction
(e.g. surface or deep mining) 

Number of operating coal mines 

Production of coal
[Mt annual] 

Main coal mining enterprises 

Name 

Husnicioara 

UMC Motru 

UMC Rovinari 

UMC Jilt 

UMC Rosia Pesteana 

Mine reparation unit 

Closure and conservation unit 

Administrative office 

Lignite

Surface mining

8 

16,425,000 

Year of prod. 
Data: 
202310 

Ownership 

Number of 
employees 

Year of 
employee data 

Complexul Energetic 
Oltenia SA, majority state 
owned (CE Oltenia) 

239 

1,454 

1,287 

1,393 

1,247 

82 

141 

99 

5,942 

202411 

Total level of employment in coal mining (in the region) 

2. 	  National Institute for Statistics. POP105A – Usually resident population by age group and ages, sex, urban/ rural area, macroregions, development 

regions and counties at January 1st. As of 11 April 2024: http://statistici.insse.ro:8077/tempo-online/#/pages/tables/insse-table 

3. 	  Eurostat. Population on 1 January by NUTS 2 region. As of 11 April 2024: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tps00001/default/table?lang=en&category=t_demo.t_demo_pop 
4. 	  Eurostat. Population density by NUTS 3 region. As of 11 April 2024: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/demo_r_d3dens$defaultview/default/table?lang=en 
5.	  Due	 to	 counting	 system 	applied 	by 	the 	National	 Institute	 for	 Statistics, 	many	 people	 are 	neither 	registered 	as	 employed 	nor	 as	 unemployed.	 Significant	 gaps	 exist	 between	 

the	 total	 of	 employed+unemployed 	persons 	and 	the 	total 	number 	of 	people 	in 	‘workforce 	age’. 	Therefore, 	unemployment 	might 	be, 	in 	truth, 	significantly 	higher. 

6.	   National Institute for Statistics. SOM103A – Unemployment rate by gender, macroregions, development regions and counties. As of 11 April 2024: ibid. 
7.	   National Institute for Statistics. FOM105F - Employees at December 31 by economic activities at level of CANE Rev.2 (section 

and division), sex, macroregions, development regions and counties. As of 29 April 2024: ibid. 

8.	   National Institute for Statistics. CON103I – GDP by macroregions, development regions and countries - calculated according NACE Rev.2 - ESA 2010. As of 11 April 2024: ibid. 
9.	   Converted from Romanian Leu. 1 Leu = €0,2 
10.   Complexul Energetic Oltenia SA. 
11.   Ibid. 

GORJ COUNTY, ROMANIA - REGIONAL PROFILEINITIATIVE FOR COAL REGIONS IN TRANSITION 
 
 
	
 
 
 
Regional coal power plant profile 

Coal power plants 
Number of coal power plants 

5 

2 

Year of data 

202412 

Installed capacity [MW] 

2310 

202213 

Share of coal in regional power generation mix [%] 

16.10% 

202414 

Main coal power plant operators 

Name 

Turceni (4 operational units) 

Rovinari (3 operational units) 

Ownership 

CE Oltenia 

Total level of employment in coal power plants (in the region) 

Number of 
employees 

Year of 
employee data 

6,57 

1,017 

1,674 

202415

Regional and local transition 
strategies and plans 

Status and timeline of coal 
transition / phase-out 

The natural abundance of lignite within Gorj County has 
led to it becoming an essential part of the national energy 
market and the regional economy. The by-now largest 
lignite energy complex of the country (and 9th largest 
reserve 	in 	the 	EU) 	was 	first 	developed 	by 	Romania’s 	
communist regime in the early 1960s to support the 
fast-growing energy-intensive industry in the region. This 
brought radical changes to the landscape, environment 
and social fabric as workers started to settle in the 
towns around the lignite mines. When the Communist 
regime fell in 1989, Gorj was Romania’s largest industrial 
hub with the mining industry as the largest employer 
in the region (around 55,000 in the 1990s), feeding 
into the county’s budget – even today over 60% of 
the local income stems from the energy complex. 

Lack of access to technology and means to implement 
these meant that the thermal power plants of Gorj 
operated 	at 	rather 	low 	efficiency 	and 	that 	power 	outages 	
were common in the 1980s. Massive investments 
were 	needed 	to 	improve 	their 	efficiency 	when 	Romania 	

joined the EU and needed to adapt their thermal 
infrastructure to European environmental standards. 

Given these developments, Gorj’s coal industry has declined 
since	 the	 1990s.	 Even	 after	 the	 emergence	 of	 CE	 Oltenia	 
in 2012, redundancies continued and working conditions 
in the mines and thermal power plants worsened.16  

Framed by Romania’s National Integrated Energy 
and Climate Change Plan 2021 – 203017 and 
the National Recovery and Resilience Plan18, the 
2022 Decarbonization Law19 	confirmed	 Romania’s	 
commitment to coal- and lignite-phase-out by 
2032. Within this Law, the country plans to: 

• decommission Romania’s remaining 4920 MW of 
installed coal/lignite power generation capacity; 

• establish measures for the rehabilitation 

of mines that have been closed; and
 

• introduce retraining and reskilling 


measures to cushion the socio-economic 

impacts on affected communities. 

To follow a gradual timeline for closure, 3780 MW of 
installed power generation capacity should be taken out of 
operation by the end of 2025 and partly replaced through 
investments	 into	 gas-fired	 combined	 heat	 and	 power	 plants	 
or renewable energy. The remaining capacities of the 
Turceni and Rovinari power plants will be maintained as a 

12.   Europe Beyond Coal “Coal Exit Tracker”. As of 11 April 2024: https://beyond-coal.eu/coal-exit-tracker/ 
13.   Rettig et al. Transition from Lignite in Gorj. Available at: https://www-docs.b-tu.de/fg-energie-umweltoekonomik/public/Schriftenreihe-pdf/sr07.pdf 
14.   Transelectrica. As of 24 May 2024: https://www.transelectrica.ro/ro/web/tel/home 
15.   Complexul Energetic Oltenia SA. 
16.   Bankwatch, 2C and European Climate Foundation. Project: Life Beyond Coal. As of 1 May 2024: https://lifebeyondcoal.eu/#Title 
17.   Ministry of Energy. National Integrated Energy and Climate Change Plan 2021 – 2030. Available at: https://energie.gov.ro/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/NECP_EN_COM-1.pdf 
18.   Ministry of Investments and European Projects. Romania’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan 2021 and 2023 Update. Available at: https://mfe.gov.ro/pnrr/ 
19.   Law No. 334 of 29 November 2022 for the approval of Government Emergency Ordinance no. 108/2022 on the decarbonization 

of the energy sector. Available at: https://legislatie.just.ro/Public/DetaliiDocument/262164 

GORJ COUNTY, ROMANIA - REGIONAL PROFILEINITIATIVE FOR COAL REGIONS IN TRANSITION 
 
 
 
 
	
	
	
technical reserve in the period 2026 – 2030 to ensure the 
safe and stable operation of the national power system. 
However, by 2031, coal and lignite extraction in Gorj (and 
Hunedoara) County and electricity production shall cease. 

Current regional strategies and 
plans for transition (including for 
economic development, diversification, 
and decarbonisation) 

The Just Transition Operational Programme 2021­
202720 for Romania earmarks EUR 2.14 billion for 
six 	counties 	(Dolj, 	Galaţi, 	Gorj, 	Hunedoara, 	Mureş 	and 	
Prahova), of which Gorj receives the largest share of 
EUR 550 million. Based on the unique challenges and 
needs 	identified 	through 	the 	Territorial Just Transition 
Plan for Gorj (TJTP)21, interventions in Gorj focus on: 

• Enterprise and entrepreneurship development 
including SMEs, social enterprises, business 
incubators/accelerators as well as technology 
transfer and support of female and youth 
entrepreneurship. Sectors seen as an opportunity 
for economic diversification include the 
manufacture of telecommunications and medical 
equipment, electronics and the production of 
batteries for electric cars. An enabling condition 
for the development of these areas is the 
presence of graphite resources in Baia de Fier. 

• Support of the workforce, i.e. retraining and 


reskilling mine workers and other job seekers 

affected indirectly by the transition. Here, retraining 
should be targeted to the fields of medium and 
high technology-intensive manufacturing, IT&C, 
building construction/renovation, green energy 
production, and installation and maintenance 
of individual renewable energy solutions. 

• Affordable green energy and clean mobility 

through small-scale renewable energy production, 
transmission and storage facilities at the household 
level and in public buildings as well as through green 
public transport investments and electric charging 
stations. Investments in green hydrogen and larger 
renewable energy facilities are also foreseen. 

• Remediation, decontamination and 

conversion of former industrial sites.
 

6 

The National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP)22  
is Romania’s overarching strategy to access EUR 28.5 
billion of the Recovery and Resilience Fund. While some of 
the 66 reforms also focus on the digitalisation of public 
administration,	 health	 and	 education,	 it	 also	 defines	 
investments to support green transition objectives, 
notably through urban mobility, clean energy and 
energy-efficiency	 renovation	 of	 buildings. 	The	 NRRP	 is	 
the basis for Romania’s Decarbonization Law which sets 
the deadline for coal- and lignite-phase-out to 2032. 
Further, it strengthens the legislative and regulatory 
framework for (private) investment in renewable electricity 
generation,	 green	 technologies	 and	 energy	 efficiency.	 
The NRRP also facilitates the transition through de­
bureaucratisation of the business environment and 
investments into vocational and technical education. 

Romania's National Strategy for Sustainable 
Development 203023 sets the main objectives 
and guidelines for action towards the adoption and 
implementation of the principles of sustainable 
development until 2030. The strategy touches upon 
renewable energy and clean transport, the digital 
economy and industrial investments and promotes 
policies that support productive activities, create 
decent jobs, develop entrepreneurship through 
start-ups, creativity and innovation, and encourage 
the formalisation and growth of micro, SMEs. 

The National Employment Strategy 2021-202724  
and the National Green Jobs Strategy 2018­
202525 focus on social and employment objectives 
of Romania, in particular by guiding the country to the 
"green economy". Their key objectives are to stimulate 
entrepreneurship, diversify skills and create “green 
jobs”, 	e.g. 	the 	field 	of 	environmental 	protection, 	water 	
supply and sewerage services, waste management, 
forestry, renewable energy production, and thermal 
rehabilitation. To achieve this, the strategies stimulate 
investments into innovation, entrepreneurship, 
education and training programs and centres. 

The key objective of the Regional Development Plan 
of the South-West Oltenia Region 2021-202726 is 
to increase the economic competitiveness of the region 
through modernization and development of the regional 
infrastructure, urban and rural fabric, agriculture and 
fisheries, 	and 	tourism 	as 	well 	as 	through 	investments 	into 	
human resources in support of sustainable employment 
and inclusion and the enhancement of natural and 
cultural-historical heritage. These are well in line with just 

20.   Ministry of Investments and European Projects. Just Transition Fund Programme Romania. Available at: https://mfe.gov.ro/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/d98632d7357c5862cadee9e19b8392fb.pdf 
21.   Ministry of Investments and European Projects. Territorial Just Transition Plan Gorj County. Available at: https://mfe.gov.ro/ptj-21-27/ 
22.   Ministry of Investments and European Projects. Romania’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan 2021 and 2023 Update. Available at: https://mfe.gov.ro/pnrr/ 
23.   Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development. Romania's National Strategy for Sustainable Development 2030. Available at: https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/rom195029.pdf 
24.   Ministry of Labour and Social Solidarity. National Employment Strategy 2021-2027. Available at: https://mmuncii.ro/j33/images/Documente/MMPS/SNOFM_2021-2027.pdf 
25.   Ministry of Labour and Social Solidarity. National Green Jobs Strategy 2018-2025. Available at: https://mmuncii.ro/j33/ 

images/Documente/Munca/2018/21082018_SN_Locuri-_Munca_Verzi_2018-2025.pdf 

26.   Adroltenia, 2022. Regional Development Plan of the South-West Oltenia region 2021-2027. Available at: https://pr2021-2027.adroltenia.ro/pdr-planul-de-dezvoltare-regionala-2021-2027/ 

GORJ COUNTY, ROMANIA - REGIONAL PROFILEINITIATIVE FOR COAL REGIONS IN TRANSITION 
	
	
	
	
	
 
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
 
	
	
	
	
	
	
 
transition objectives in the region that further support 
the 	measures 	in 	energy 	efficiency, 	economic 	reconversion 	
and 	diversification, 	competitiveness, 	skills 	development, 	
and social inclusion as well as capacity-building of local 
public services, that are foreseen through the region’s 
development plan. In addition, the Regional Strategy 
for Smart Specialisation South-West Oltenia 2021­
202727 further encourages entrepreneurship, research and 
innovation, and partnerships and technology transfer. 

Finally, the Development Strategy of Gorj County 
2021-202728 set the overall development strategy for the 
county. 	Priority 	areas 	for 	development 	identified 	therein 	are: 

• Renewable energy systems, energy 

efficiency and infrastructure 

• Green diversification of economic activities of SMEs 

• Skills development, up- and reskilling 

• Repurposing of contaminated land 

• Green urban public infrastructure and mobility 

• Circular economy 

• Social infrastructure and entrepreneurship 

• Sustainable tourism, culture and heritage 

Principal actors in development 
and implementation of transition 
strategies and plans 

At national level: 

• Ministry of Investments and European Projects 

– Managing Authority of JTF Programme 

• Ministry of Energy 

• Ministry of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Tourism 

• Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure 

• Ministry of Labour 

At regional level: 

• Gorj County Council (incl. Just Transition Unit) 

• Working Group for the Coordination of 

the Transition to Climate Neutrality
 

• Regional Development Agency Oltenia – 

Intermediate Body of JTF Programme
 

7 

At local level: 

• Local authorities of main centres (Târgu 


Jiu, Motru, Rovinari, Turceni)
 

• NGOs with an environmental focus (i.e. Bankwatch, 
Eco Civica, Eco Challenge, LAG Cheile Sohodolului) 
and social/cultural focus (i.e. Bee Teen focussed 
on youth involvement, TNG, Excelsior, Multilingua, 
Sprijin si intrajutorare Solidaritatea) 

• Business association of Gorj 

• Agencies (Public employment agency 

(AJOFM), Agency for Environmental Projection 
Gorj, County School Inspectorate, Forest 
Management Department Gorj) 

• Constantin Brancusi University 

• Trade unions 

• Civic, social and sports clubs 

• Media 

• Political organizations 

Regional and local transition 
projects and initiatives 

Notable ongoing and recent transition-
related initiatives and projects 

One key project already under implementation is 
the project RenewAcad, a professional training and 
counselling academy for renewable energy initially 
funded under the Sectoral Operational Programme 
Human 	Resources 	Development. 	After 	a 	successful 	first 	
phase 	in 	which 	over 	700 	people 	benefited 	from 	training 	
and 	certifications, 	RenewAcad 	has 	now 	become 	an 	
initiative that aims to activate former mining workers to 
become part of the fair energy transition. RenewAcad 
offers 	requalification 	opportunities 	in 	the 	wind 	farm 	
industry or the construction and operation of solar 
farms.29 To date (May 2024), a total of 54 people have 
completed training courses at the Rovinari RenewAcad 
Center – with many more interested in joining.30  

In the past, Romania’s Regional Operational Programme 
(ROP)31 	for	 2014-2020	 financed	 a	 total	 of	 126	 
projects in Gorj covering a variety of topics: business 

27.   Adroltenia, 2021. Regional Strategy for Smart Specialisation South-West Oltenia 2021-2027. Available at: https://www. 

adroltenia.ro/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/RIS-SVO-21-27_martie-2021-avizata-CRI-aranjata.pdf 

28.   Gorj County, 2021. The Development Strategy of Gorj County 2021-2027. Available at: https://www.cjgorj.ro/Date%20site/ 

Dezbateri%20publice/Strategia%20de%20dezv%20a%20jud%20Gorj%202021-2027.pdf 

29.   RenewAcad, 2024. Available at: https://www.renewacad.eu/ 
30.   The Diplomat Bukarest, 2024. The RenewAcad Center in Rovinari has trained 54 students to become specialists in the green jobs of the future. Available at: https:// 

www.thediplomat.ro/2024/03/19/the-renewacad-center-in-rovinari-has-trained-54-students-to-become-specialists-in-the-green-jobs-of-the-future/ 

31.   European Commission. As of 25 May 2024: https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/in-your-country/programmes/2014-2020/ro/2014ro16rfop002_en 

GORJ COUNTY, ROMANIA - REGIONAL PROFILEINITIATIVE FOR COAL REGIONS IN TRANSITIONdevelopment (69 projects), green transition (16) social 
infrastructure (9), urban development (8), cultural 
patrimony (3), infrastructure (3), tourism (1), education 
(9), small municipalities (8). 64 of these projects 
were located in Târgu Jiu with half of them focussed 
on support for businesses, particularly SMEs. 

Finally, several renewable energy installation projects 
are underway in the county: for example, the six units 
of Turceni power plant are in the process of being 
decommissioned. In the meantime, Romgaz is building a 
new 430 MW combined cycle power plant with gas as a 
transition fuel. Parts of the Rovinari mine are also already 
in the process of being converted into a solar PV farm. 
Furthermore, OMV Petrom is investing, together with CE 
Oltenia, into photovoltaic parks in Ișalnița, Tismana, Roșia 
& Rovinari. Through the JTF allocation for SMEs, a majority 
of beneficiaries will install renewable energy systems. 

Notable planned transition-related 
initiatives and projects 

Two relevant calls have thus far launched under the 
Just Transition Operational Programme of Romania32: 

• Development of Enterprises and Entrepreneurship 

- Investments for the development of SMEs 
supporting sustainable growth and job creation" 
(budget of EUR 299 million for Gorj county) 
open to SMEs and micro-enterprises33. 

• Supporting Workforce Transition - Support for the 

adaptation of workers, businesses and entrepreneurs 
(budget of EUR 110 million) open to employment 
agencies, (employer) associations and organizations, 
local public authorities, universities, NGOs, and 
trade unions34. EUR 24 million have already been 
bookmarked under a non-competitive call for 
AJOFM in Gorj for reconversion and increase of 
administrative capacity. In their project(s), they need 
to involve also other social partners (university, 
trade union, NGO) and must develop measures for 
laid-off workers to develop skills in other relevant 
sectors (e.g. robotics). Here, the Constantin Brancusi 
University also plans to develop a project on 
building a training centre for workers to develop 
skills in priority sectors, in partnership with AJOFM. 

Future calls expected under the JTF within 2024 should 
focus on support for micro- and social enterprises, 
business infrastructure, spin-offs/-outs and start-ups. 
Furthermore, calls are expected for investments into 
professional reconversion, maintaining highly skilled 

8 

workforce, renewable energy for households and 
public buildings, public transport and remediation, 
decontamination and reconversion of contaminated lands. 

Regional and local transition 
challenges and opportunities 

Nature and scale of key transition challenges 

With both power plants of Gorj country scheduled to retire 
by 2032, there are several transition challenges to consider. 

1,674 and 5,942 directly employed workers at the power 
plants and mines are set to lose their jobs and negatively 
affect the 160 companies in CE Oltenia’s supply chain. 
According to the E3ME macroeconomic modelling35, 
approximately 50% of the turnover of these companies 
will be negatively affected, translating into an overall 
reduction in jobs in the region. It is expected that the 
jobs created through renewable energy and industry will 
not be able to absorb the available labour, especially 
skilled workers. Therefore, there is a particular need for 
retraining and specialisation of workers who are not eligible 
for retirement, matching with Romania’s skills forecast 
into professions like electricians, electromechanics, tool 
operators, engineers/sub-engineers, machinists, hydraulic 
operators and energy installation operators. Reintegrating 
such a large number of affected workers poses particular 
challenges for the employment agency, its subordinate 
vocational training centres, as well as for public or private 
sector vocational training providers authorised to provide 
such training. Therefore, particular attention should be paid 
to early training in order to cope with the large number of 
people with long-term careers in activities requiring non­
transferable or difficult-to-transfer skills to a low-emission 
economy. Salaries are also expected to be much lower in 
the low-emission economy than what workers were used 
to at thermal power plants: over 4000 lei in the coal sector 
versus the average net salary of the county of 2858 lei.36 

Broader social impacts of the transition relate to the gender 
distribution in the region and impacts on already vulnerable 
groups. With a majority of CE Oltenia workers being men 
above the age of 40, often the sole breadwinners, it can 
be expected that the decarbonisation measures will lead 
to lower standards for entire households and increased 
financial responsibilities for women, children and young 
dependants at risk of dropping out of school. With the 
closure of coal industries, competition with women for 
available jobs will increase, risking increasing gender 

32.  Ministry of Investments and European Projects. As of 3 May 2024: https://oportunitati-ue.gov.ro/en/program/programul-tranzitie-justa/ 
33.  Call closed in May 2024. 
34.  Call to close in September 2024. 
35.  According to a study by the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management funded by the EU Structural Reform Support Programme. 

Available at: https://mfe.gov.ro/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/1c0f712ea5d63755decc545234f10e56.pdf 

36.  Ministry of Investments and European Projects. Territorial Just Transition Plan Gorj County. Available at: https://mfe.gov.ro/ptj-21-27/ 

GORJ COUNTY, ROMANIA - REGIONAL PROFILEINITIATIVE FOR COAL REGIONS IN TRANSITION9 

Nature and scale of key 
transition opportunities 

As	 regards	 the	 potential	 for	 economic	 diversification 	and 	
development opportunities in the territory concentrate 
on the areas of transport systems, industrial engineering, 
engineering of materials used in manufacturing (e.g. per, 
rubber and plastics, non-metallic minerals, organic and 
inorganic chemicals, wood), health systems, equipment 
and technologies, photovoltaic energy production, as 
well as the development of the ITC sector. Gorj is also 
in a favourable economic position due to its graphite 
resources	 in	 Baia 	de	 Fier	 –	 a	 highly	 sought-after	 substance	 
used to produce graphene, a product with multiple uses 
in telecommunications, medicine, electronics and the 
production of batteries for electric cars.38 Premises like 
the Constantin Brancusi University allow Gorj to become 
a centre for innovation and research with a large pool of 
pupils with higher education and technical skills available. 

According to a study by EPG (Energy Policy Group)39, 
Gorj is in a unique position as one of the areas with 
the highest solar power potential which could create 
2.6 jobs per MW installed. Furthermore, the county is 
in a favourable position to attract companies amongst 
four key value chains: renewable energy and electricity 
grids;	 energy	 efficiency	 in	 buildings	 and	 heat	 pumps;	 
batteries, components and infrastructure for electric 
vehicles; and green hydrogen-based technologies. 

inequalities in the labour market. Furthermore, the transition 
puts at risk the already large group of workers employed 
in the informal sector and of residents living in poverty: 
37% of the resident population living in disadvantaged 
urban areas and 21% of the population in marginalized 
urban	 areas	 such	 as	 Bumbești	 -	Jiu,	 Tismana,	 Rovinari. 

From an environmental perspective, there are extensive 
areas of damaged land that resulted from decades 
of mining, including 167,000 hectares of eroded land 
and 89,000 hectares of landslide-prone land. As far 
as contaminated sites are concerned, Gorj County has 
catalogued 13 contaminated sites where gases coming 
from the power plants have damaged the land, of which 
eight are in public ownership (of local municipalities) and 
are intended for the disposal of household waste. Five 
are owned by private companies and are contaminated 
with mercury waste, hydrocarbons, etc. In total, these 
sites cover an area of 166,574 square meters.37 

Finally, from a governance perspective, there are other 
severe challenges related to a conservative system of 
administration,	 often	 characterized	 by	 a	 hierarchical	 and	 
siloed approach that contradicts the transversal and 
holistic approach needed for the green transition. There 
is a lack of trust and cooperation across the levels of 
governance and within the society and shortcomings 
in the capacities of (local) public authorities as well 
as other stakeholders that lack experience and skills 
in identifying, developing and implementing transition 
projects. Participation and consultation with the local 
community are limited, leading to a low understanding of 
just transition objectives amongst the local population. 

37.   According to a study by the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management funded by the EU Structural Reform Support Programme. 

Available at: https://mfe.gov.ro/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/1c0f712ea5d63755decc545234f10e56.pdf 

38.   Ministry of Investments and European Projects. Territorial Just Transition Plan Gorj County. Available at: https://mfe.gov.ro/ptj-21-27/ 
39.   EPG, 2021. The sustainable transition of Gorj county. Available at: https://www.enpg.ro/the-sustainable-transition-of-gorj-county/ 

GORJ COUNTY, ROMANIA - REGIONAL PROFILEINITIATIVE FOR COAL REGIONS IN TRANSITIONGETTING IN TOUCH WITH THE EU 

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Initiative for coal 
regions in transition 

The Initiative for coal regions in transition 
is led by the European Commission. 

ec.europa.eu/coal-regions-in-transition 

secretariat@coalregions.eu 

@Energy4Europe