Transelectrica Gets EUR 56mn Grant for Modernisation
The national power transmission company Transelectrica has obtained EUR 56.2 million through the REPowerEU component of the NRRP, recently approved by the Council of the European Union, to finance three essential investment projects for the efficiency and modernisation of the power transmission network, two of which are for the SMART and Teletrans subsidiaries.
The objective of the REPowerEU-funded investment is to increase flexibility and address bottlenecks in the power grid in order to accelerate the integration of additional renewable energy capacity and increase grid resilience, while strengthening cyber security through better cyber-attack response.
The total approved investment is worth EUR 56,237,200 and consists of three sub-investments:
- “Installation of photovoltaic power plants and electricity storage facilities to supply internal services installed in CNTEE Transelectrica SA substations”, with an allocation of EUR 29,557,000. This sub-investment consists of the installation of photovoltaic power plants in 29 of the 81 electrical substations in the power transmission grid. The investment is an off-grid investment where the photovoltaic power plants and storage batteries will only be used to supply electricity to part of the substations’ internal services.
The implementation of these off-grid solar panel systems co-located with electricity storage aims to achieve a reduction of at least 50% of Transelectrica’s own electricity consumption in 29 substations compared to 2022. It will also result in a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions of 2610.93 tonnes CO2/year. The deadline for completion is June 30, 2026.
- “Upgrading SMART SA – subsidiary of CNTEE Transelectrica SA”, with an allocation of EUR 18,240,000. This sub-investment aims at equipping SMART with state-of-the-art clean technology equipment and machinery to provide maintenance services at the highest standards, suitable for a transmission and system operator, as well as digitizing the maintenance services offered to the national energy infrastructure through the implementation and development of software solutions.
The sub-investment consists of:
- Equipping SMART with appropriate technological equipment to ensure the maintenance of Power Transmission Grid (PTG) services at the highest quality standards.
- Digitization of maintenance services provided by SMART for the Romanian Power Transmission Network.
The new equipment will allow SMART to use WuV (Working Under Voltage) technology, which means that interventions on lines and PTG substations can be carried out without disconnecting them from power supply, thus ensuring continuity of power supply to consumers. All equipment will only be used for maintenance of the PTG by SMART and for the connection of renewable energy producers to the National Electric Power System.
This sub-investment will have positive effects on the quality of maintenance services provided by SMART for the national power transmission network, by reducing by 50% the average number of intervention hours and the number of interventions. Thus, the SMART refurbishment will strengthen the security and stability of the National Electric Power System and the Power Transmission Grid, which contributes to ensuring energy security by Transelectrica, as the national transmission and system operator. The implementation of this sub-investment shall be completed by December 31, 2024.
- “Optimisation of the communication network and creation of a data centre – Teletrans SA, subsidiary of CNTEE Transelectrica SA”, with an allocation of EUR 8,440,000. The sub-investment aims to increase the cyber resilience of the power transmission grid and the National Electric Power System by upgrading the communication network (equipment and software) and creating a data centre. The equipment to be procured under the project will result in increasing the technical availability of the fibre optic infrastructure to 99.5%, directly contributing to the stability and reliability of the NEPS.
The implementation of this sub-investment shall be completed by March 31, 2026.
The implementation of these investments will significantly contribute to strengthening Romania’s Power Transmission Grid, in order to support the phased decarbonisation and progressive integration of renewable sources, while ensuring efficiency and security of electricity supply in compliance with environmental and climate change regulations.
About Transelectrica
The National Power Grid Company Transelectrica, as the sole electricity transmission and system operator in Romania, aims to maintain the quality of the transmission and system service and the operational reliability of the National Electric Power System under economically efficient conditions, in accordance with the regulations in force and the standards jointly adopted at European level. Transelectrica is responsible for power transmission, the operation of the system and of the market, and for ensuring the safety of the National Electric Power System (NEPS).
The company carries out the power transmission activity through Romania’s Power Transmission Grid – a grid of national and strategic interest – consisting of 81 electrical substations and 8931.6 kilometres of overhead power lines, with voltages of 220 kV and 400 kV.
About SMART
The company for transmission grid maintenance services – SMART is a subsidiary of Transelectrica, established in 2001 as a result of the reorganization of some activities within Transelectrica. The main activity of the subsidiary is the maintenance of the Power Transmission Grid, so that the installations of the PTG operate in safe conditions at the performance level required by the license, the repair of incidents on electrical installations. The mission for which SMART was established is to ensure preventive maintenance, special works, and corrective maintenance of the Power Transmission Grid, based on Transelectrica’s primary objective: to ensure the safe and stable transmission of electricity in the national transmission grid.
About TELETRANS
The Company for Telecommunications and Information Technology Services in Power Transmission Grids Teletrans is the subsidiary of Transelectrica responsible for the provision of communication and IT services for the management and security of the Romanian Power Transmission Grid, established in 2002. TELETRANS manages Transelectrica’s main fibre optic network, which is about 5000 kilometres long and covers the whole country. The fibre-optic network managed by TELETRANS provides access points in 110 localities, as well as cross-border links with Hungary, Bulgaria, and Serbia.
