CARMEN Smart Grid Project Included on the 5th List of Energy PCIs
The Carpathian Modernized Energy Network (CARMEN) Smart Grid Project, developed by Delgaz Grid SA and CNTEE Transelectrica SA in partnership with the Hungarian transmission operator, MAVIR Magyar Villamosenergia-ipari Átviteli Rendszerirányító ZRt, has received the final approval of the European Union, being included on the fifth list of energy Projects of Common Interest (PCI). Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/564 of 19 November 2021 came into force on 29 April 2022, following the approval by the European Parliament and the Council, through which the CARMEN Project officially becomes a Project of Common Interest in the Smart Grid theme area.
Projects of Common Interest are key cross-border energy infrastructure projects for building a more integrated and resilient EU internal energy market and pursuing our energy and climate goals. This current PCI list comprises 98 projects: 67 projects in electricity transmission and storage, 20 in gas, 6 CO2 network projects and 5 smart grid projects.
CARMEN project has a value of approximately EUR 150 million, the funding application following to be submitted in the second half of 2022. Implementation will be carried out during 6 years, starting with 2023 and until 2028.
“The fact that CARMEN project has obtained the status of Project of Common Interest is a real success for our company, being the most ambitious investment project of Romania in the electricity distribution infrastructure in the North-East Region. We are grateful to our colleagues at Delgaz Grid and our partners at Transelectrica and MAVIR for the efforts made that led to this result. We are convinced that CARMEN project will become a model of good practice in terms of collaboration between the actors of the energy sector, in view of adaptation to the European requirements on decarbonization, digitization and energy security,” says Volker Raffel, CEO of E.ON Romania.
“Obtaining the capacity of Project of Common Interest for CARMEN project marks a milestone regarding the development of the cross-border energy infrastructure in the context of cooperation of transmission and distribution operators. In order to cope with all the transformations in the energy sector supported by the European agenda, a global approach is necessary, in the spirit of collaboration and information sharing. We are in a context where only by implementing interoperability between our systems, through a pragmatic and courageous cooperation, can we adapt the grids to the new configurations of the electric power systems in the context of energy transition. We are proud that Transelectrica is part of this investment objective of major importance at European level and we thank our partners from Delgaz Grid for the extraordinary cooperation in the effort of giving life to this project,” says Gabriel Andronache, CEO of CNTEE Transelectrica SA.
Through CARMEN project, partners aim at modernizing and developing the electricity transmission and distribution networks, as well as increasing their interoperability, both at national and European levels, for reaching objectives of common interest.
Therefore, it is expected to upgrade transformer substations and stations, high voltage overhead lines and implement specific IT and communication technologies, and to install in the power grid modern means of voltage control at the level of the energy system.
CARMEN will directly contribute to the increase in the capacity of takeover in the low voltage network of the electricity produced from renewable sources by the prosumers, the project representing an extremely important step towards accelerating the decarbonization and digitization of the electricity transmission and distribution network managed by the three partners.
