The contract worth around EUR188 million was won by the association made up of Electromontaj, Koncar – Engineering Co. Ltd. and Butan Group.
Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja emphasized the importance of this project for Romania’s energy future and expressed their support for initiatives that promote sustainability and energy efficiency.
“(…) I look to the future with confidence because never in its modern history has Romania invested and built at a more sustained rate than now. There are tens of billions of euros invested in everything that means critical infrastructures – transport, energy, health, IT, and more. Today’s investment of over EUR200 million is one of the essential objectives for our energy system. This investment will allow us to modernize this masterpiece of Romanian engineering. I am convinced that if the investment of 1966 was amortized in 28 years, the one signed today will be recouped in a few years. /…/ I assure Hidroelectrica of the full support of the Romanian Government, we support any major investment in clean energy, because it is the best investment in the future of this country”, stated Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu.
“It is an honor to announce that, after 12 years, we are signing the first refurbishment contract at an electricity production plant. Carrying out this contract will be a challenge for everyone. The success of the listing is proof of Hidroelectrica’s progress. The most important objective of my mandate is to develop investment projects in the company’s core business, thus significantly extending the life of the equipment for green energy production. The renovation works will last seven years, during which we aim to achieve excellent performance (…)”, said Karoly Borbely, CEO of Hidroelectrica.
The Vidraru Hydropower Plant, inaugurated on December 9, 1966, uses the hydropower potential of River Arges over a 28 km sector and has an installed capacity of 220 MW, contributing approximately 400 GWh annually to electricity production. The Vidraru Dam, at the time of its inauguration, was the fifth largest in Europe and the ninth in the world.
Hidroelectrica operates 187 plants with a hydropower capacity of 6.3 GW and owns a wind farm at Crucea with an installed capacity of 108 MW.