As coal plants close in Romania, some miners are transitioning to green energy, while others are reluctant

PETRILA, Romania (AP) — For many years, Sebastian Tirinticǎ worked in a coal mine, like his father and grandfather before him.

These days, Tirinticǎ, now 38, is largely surrounded by solar panels and wind turbines as he travels around Romania to train former coal workers and others for jobs in renewable energy.

It’s been a huge career change for a worker from one of the main coal regions in this ex-communist Eastern European country.

“It’s hard to let go of something you’ve done all your life,” said Tirinticǎ, who has a short beard sprinkled with gray hair. “It’s difficult to start again from scratch and not everyone has the strength and courage to do it.”

Romania hopes to find more workers like Tirinticǎ, but they are difficult to find.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This story is a collaboration between the Associated Press and Cipher News.

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In a region where coal mining was once an economic driving force, coal miners are witnessing a slow, steady decline of a decades-old industry as Romania prepares to phase out all coal-based activities. until 2032.

However, few miners have taken the leap to equip themselves with new skills, even when opportunities have been presented to them, as tradition, uncertainty and fear keep people tied to what they know. This is sometimes one of the biggest challenges of the transition to green energy: changing hearts and minds.

For this to happen, coal workers need incentives and guarantees, which experts say do not exist. The lack of a specific strategy, contradictory political messages and mistrust are some of the main barriers to transforming regions that have long depended on coal.

Tirinticǎ was initially hesitant to take the leap. He was one of 10 miners who could have received free training and a job installing wind turbines as part of a pilot project in 2019. He refused because it would have taken him to Germany and away from his wife and two daughters.

Today, he said he is the only one of the original 10 to have left the coal industry. He did so in 2022, after having undergone two requalification courses the previous year, totaling around a month. Tirinticǎ learned the basics of how to install solar panels on different surfaces and how to repair wind turbines, including first aid procedures and how to deal with heights. He later took additional specialized courses to train others in acquiring new skills.

Romania, a member country of the European Union with around 19 million inhabitants, is known for its medieval castles in the Transylvania region. The country has a thriving information technology and software services sector, along with a good industrial and agricultural base. However, unemployment in rural areas, corruption and bureaucracy pose challenges. Millions have left in recent years in search of better economic opportunities.

The shift to a greener economy is also affecting the country’s energy sector, increasing the reluctance of some miners to embrace change in an uncertain future.

Workers at the Oltenia Energy Complex (CE Oltenia), one of Romania’s largest energy companies mainly involved in coal-based energy production in the southwestern county of Gorj, had the opportunity earlier this year to attend an 18-year course days to become an accredited installer of photovoltaic solar panels.

This summer, around 100 people completed the course run by RenewAcad, a reskilling program led by renewable energy company Monsson and sponsored by major energy company OMV Petrom.

While a success for the project, the number represents only around 1.3% of CE Oletenia’s workforce of around 8,000 employees in the company’s mines and coal-fired power plants.

In 2021, the RenewAcad project targeted a group of 800 coal workers to retrain as solar panel and wind turbine installers. But the search for candidates had to be extended to other parts of the country because registration rates in mining regions were not high enough.

“Grandpa, great-grandfather worked in the mine, what will the neighbor say if I leave the industry?” said Sebastian Enache, business development manager at Monsson, which oversees the project, explaining the reluctance of many coal miners.

The average monthly salary of a coal miner is around 800 to 1000 euros, say locals, but it can also be higher for those who work in power plants or have more education. Starting salaries for solar panel installers are similar, but often involve traveling across the country or abroad, making the move less attractive.

Workers who participated in the Romanian training had to take vacation or attend the nearly four-week course between their shifts, which was a disincentive.