CARMEN Project Awaits Funding under the CEF Program

Partners in the Smart Grid project CARMEN on August 31, 2022, submitted the application to obtain funding under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).

The Carpathian Modernized Energy Network (CARMEN) Smart Grid Project is developed by Delgaz Grid SA and CNTEE Transelectrica SA in partnership with the Hungarian transmission operator, MAVIR Magyar Villamosenergia-ipari Átviteli Rendszerirányító ZRt.

Since May, when the project received the final approval of the European Union and was included on the fifth list of energy Projects of Common Interest (PCI), CARMEN has successfully completed all stages and requirements to become eligible to access funding under the European Commission’s Connecting Europe Facility, dedicated to Projects of Common Interest.

Therefore, the Project Partners have submitted the application to obtain non-reimbursable funding within the opened call for proposals related to the mentioned program.

CARMEN project has a value of approximately EUR 120 million and the investment aims at works that will be carried out over a 4-year period, during 2023-2026, for the purpose of transition of the infrastructure in the concession area of Delgaz Grid S.A. and CNTEE Transelectrica S.A. to the Smart Grid concept.

“Together with our partners, we go through another important stage in carrying out this strategic project for our companies, but also for the Romanian energy system. Among other targets, CARMEN Project will directly contribute to the increased capacity of the networks for taking over energy produced in a decentralized manner. In this way, we support customers who want in an increasing number to become prosumers by installing capacities for the production of energy from renewable sources. Therefore, we contribute to the general effort for decarbonization, digitization and energy security,” says Volker Raffel, CEO of E.ON Romania.

“We congratulate the partners in CARMEN Project, as well as our colleagues in the implementation team for the fast progress in carrying out this initiative in the energy field. Over the past year there has been significant progress so that this project takes shape. CARMEN Project has recently marked an essential milestone in terms of steps for obtaining the funding sources that will support its development and implementation. Through the joint efforts of the parties involved in the development of Carmen Project and a serious partnership, we will go through important steps in achieving the objectives aimed at increasing performance of the national energy sector and at facilitating the degree of interoperability between the European energy systems,” says Gabriel Andronache, CEO CNTEE Transelectrica SA.

The Project of Common Interest CARMEN aims at the development of a smart transmission and distribution grid for the improvement of the quality of services provided to customers and making investments that would ensure compliance with the mandatory performance standards, by modernizing and digitizing the electricity infrastructure.

The partnership involves the development of the first Smart Grid PCI in Romania with cross-border impact, which will bring numerous benefits at the level of the entire Eastern-European region (Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Hungary, Bulgaria), from the perspective of the energy flow and digitization of transmission and distribution grids.

Transformer substations and stations, high voltage overhead lines will be modernized, specific IT and communication technologies will be implemented, modern means of voltage control at the level of the power system (FACTS systems) will be installed in the power transmission grid and the platform for sharing the operational data measured will be developed within the project.

CARMEN will directly contribute to increasing the capacity of takeover in the low voltage network of the electricity produced from renewable sources by prosumers, the project representing an extremely important step towards accelerating decarbonization and digitization of the power transmission and distribution grid managed by the partners involved in the project.