Romania’s energy colossus Turceni TPP celebrates 4 decades of performance

In July 1978, five years from the start of works at Turceni Thermal Power Plant (TPP), the turbogenerator no. 1, of 330MW, was connected to the national energy system. 40 years have passed from the ‘first parallel’ successfully implemented by the Gorj-based thermal power plant. It has always been assimilated to the idea of performance, both for the immense construction and the number of MW produced.

The anniversary of the 4 decades of activity was marked by the officials from the Oltenia Energy Complex on 17 August at the headquarters of Electrocentrale Turceni Branch. The event was attended by Energy Minister Anton Anton, state secretaries Iulian-Robert Tudorache and Doru Visan, MEP, members of the Parliament of Romania, former and current directors of the unit, union leaders, company’s Management Board, county and local authorities. Awards and anniversary booklets were granted during the reunion.

The celebration ended with a visit to the thermal power plant.

 

Retrofitting instead of closure

Regarding the situation of coal-fired power plants, the Energy Minister believes that “in this energy mix, coal has its share”. Even if “coal’s role will diminish in time, in the sense that thermal power plants will slowly reach their limit of life, it does not mean that they will die instantly, as it was understood,” Anton Anton pointed out. In the opinion of MEP Maria Grapini, the solution is retrofitting. “Retrofitting and new equipment are required, we can diminish pollution for example, and carbon emissions, through modern equipment for thermal power plants, but not close them. No way,” Maria Grapini highlighted.

 

State support

ALDE MEP Norica Nicolai claims a balanced energy mix is necessary for Europe, as dependence on a single type of energy is not beneficial. “After long experience with green certificates, Germany has become dependent on Russian gas import. If these certificates produced a benefit, this was only strictly financial, they are mechanisms that have not encouraged and have not supported the industry to reduce the pollution factor. We need to find another application scheme so that part of these costs is found in investments for environmental protection. This is what we are currently working on. We have already organized a group in the Parliament, we are working with Member States, especially with the Polish colleagues, who have the same problem as we do,” Norica Nicolai explained. She also informed that a conference would take place in October during which a new structure for the green certificates scheme would be proposed. “We have the first conference in October, together with the Polish colleagues, and by the end of mandate next year we have to shape up this scheme and promote it. For this year, a Romanian state support scheme should be found, because it’s a pity, Oltenia Energy Complex registers profits,” the MEP also mentioned.

 

Turceni Thermal Power Plant in data and figures

An overview of the 40 years of operation of the Turceni Thermal Power Plant shows spectacular figures.

• 180 TWh of electricity produced;
• 3900 parallel connections;
• 767 thousand total hours of operation of the energy groups;
• The 1st in the country in terms of coal-fired electricity production and the 2nd in the top of the most profitable thermal power plants in Romania (after 2000);
• 11.5% electricity market share;
• Approximately 8 TWh – the largest energy quantity produced in the 40 years (in 2011);
• 4826 employees, the largest number, recorded in 1990; it was started from a number of 784 employees (in 1977); today the large family of energy professionals in Turceni including 1375 people.

The fruit of work of this generation of energy specialists was materialized in the current configuration, result of adaptation over time to the technical and organizational conditions of global energy. This was possible thanks to the introduction of cutting-edge technologies in the production of electricity and the fulfilment of the conditions imposed by the European environmental protection legislation.

The contribution of all these people, of whom 10 have completed 40 years of uninterrupted work in Turceni, was appreciated and celebrated in a festive setting, with the conviction that the greatest guarantee for the future of the Turceni Thermal Power Plant is the staff itself.

“I live in the area and I have been linked to Turceni, to people here for four decades. I have been working at Turceni since 1978. I wish to be here in the room when 50 years of SE Turceni are celebrated, together with these people who know that the work of an energy specialist is very difficult,” President of Energia Turceni Union, Eugen Iovan, said.

“The ability to withstand the challenges of time is the expression of the commitment of these people to the energy sector. We hope that their satisfaction has been at least equal to the effort taken and the human energy consumption which the Turceni electricity has come from over the years,” the management of Oltenia Energy Complex stated.

In turn, the President of Directorate of the Complexul Energetic Oltenia, Sorin Boza, expressed his gratitude to the thousands of energy specialists who, with determination and devotion, have contributed to the growth of this giant of the Romanian thermal energy sector and then gave to the Romanian energy system more than 180 TWh.

“Over the four decades, the Romanian energy sector has developed, taking over and applying all the major transformations at the European level for the consolidation and efficiency of thermal power plants, but also for the observance of the environmental conditions resulting from the necessity of creating a certain standard of living for all of us. The ability to withstand the challenges of time is the expression of the seriousness and professionalism with which generations of energy professionals have produced Turceni energy in a responsible manner to the environment and society and have brought major benefits for the local communities and the Romanian economy,” Sorin Boza emphasized.