As coal plants shut in Romania, some miners transition to green energy while others are reluctant
Sebastian Tirintica sits backdropped by solar panels in the RenewAcad training center in Petrosani, southern Romania, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. Credit: AP/Vadim Ghirda
PETRILA, Romania — For many years, Sebastian Tirinticǎ worked in a coal mine, just like his father and grandfather before him.
These days, Tirinticǎ, now 38, is largely surrounded by solar panels and wind turbines as he travels across Romania to train former coal workers and others for jobs in renewable energies.
It’s been a huge professional shift for a worker from one of the main coal regions of this formerly Communist Eastern European country.
“It’s hard to unglue yourself from something you did your entire life," said Tirinticǎ, who has a short beard sprinkled with grey hair. “It’s hard to start again from zero, and not everyone has the strength and courage to do it.”
Romania hopes to find more workers like Tirinticǎ, but they are hard to come by.
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EDITOR’S NOTE: This story is a collaboration between The Associated Press and Cipher News.
Coal extraction equipment operates at the open air quarry outside Matasari, southern Romania, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. Credit: AP/Vadim Ghirda
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