Transelectrica Opens the ‘Energy Highway’ in Western Romania

Transelectrica is carrying out a project to close the 400kV ring of Romania, an investment of over RON 129mln, which will be completed in 2021. Thus, the western part of the country will benefit from greater safety in terms of electricity supply.

“This project, worth over RON 129mln, involves two stages: one for the construction of a new line, consisting of 259 poles, and the modernization of an existing line, of 142 poles. It is a project which for the community in the south-west and west of the country represents a huge benefit, because it is an area with deficit in terms of electricity supply, it means a lot for the exchanges at the western border of Romania, it means the revival of Romanian desire and capacity to build energy infrastructure at national level,” said CEO Claudia Anastase, President of the Executive Board of Transelectrica.

The 400kV ring will improve, on the one hand, connection with the western part, a more solid connection with Europe, and, on the other hand, will allow the evacuation of power from Dobrogea area. “The project also means an increase in the security of supply, as well as an increase in connectivity. At the same time, it means an integration of production from renewable resources, as well as optimization of electricity production and integration of the domestic electricity market in what we call the European electricity market,” Secretary of State Bogdan Andronic, from the Ministry of Economy, pointed out.

The project, whose technical value is near RON 130mln, will cover the production deficit in Banat area, bringing power produced at Iron Gates I hydropower plant in the south-west and west of the country, where there are few energy sources.

According to Luca Iacobici, director of Timisoara Transmission Branch within Transelectrica, there are also other thermal power plants, in Mintia area, in Ruieni, in Paroseni, which are sources of production, but the Iron Gates I hydropower plant, given the power excess here, ensures the comfort of safe operation in the south-west and west of the country and having a power transmission grid in this part of the country, consolidated, secured. In this way, some damages in the counties of Caras-Severin, Timis, Arad and Hunedoara can be avoided.

“Once we have proposed this project, we analyzed all the options available. It is a technical challenge in terms of implementation. Let’s not forget that this overhead line of 400 kV is only a component of the large project, respectively switching to 400 kV the Banat axis, from the Iron Gates to Resita, then in Timisoara, Sacalaz and Arad. All this artery is currently operating at 220 kV, and the network losses are significant. But with the construction of this line, from a technical point of view, not only do we secure consumption of approximately one thousand megawatts, but it also consolidates the allocation of capacity and transit at the border, which is very important for Romania,” Luca Iacobici pointed out.

Construction works at the 400kV ring OHL Iron Gates (Anina) – Resita are executed by Electromontaj SA Bucharest – Romelectro SA Association, with the following subcontractors: Emfor Montaj SA, SC Electromontaj SA Sibiu and SC Electromontaj Cluj, with the contribution of consultant GOPA – International Energy Consultants GmbH ROENG T.E.C. The design of the line was made by the Bucharest Institute for Studies and Power Engineering.