ROMANIA: A final investment decision for a pumped hydro plant is ‘very close’
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The head of the National Energy Dispatch, Vigiliu Ivan, said that we are “very close” to making a final investment decision for a pumped storage hydropower plant.
“We tried to stimulate the introduction of storage facilities. Things started going, since last year we have the first medium level battery, 7 MW, with which we do secondary regulation, and two days ago we participated in the inauguration of 6 MW with 24 MWh (the battery manufactured by Prime and located at the park photovoltaic Bride of Monsson – ed.).
I think we will exceed 50MW in installed capacity this year, but much more is needed as many more renewables come online.
I am convinced that the same investments will be installed – pumped storage, and from the data we have now, we are very close to making an investment decision for a pumped storage plant. Stability is important for everyone, both for producers, and for consumers, and for the national energy system,” said Ivan, invited to the Solar Energy Bucharest Summit.
The head of the DEN refused to say which pumped hydro plant project it was about. It is clear, however, that it cannot be about the well-known project from Tarnița, given that it has not yet been determined who will do the feasibility study. Also, when asked if it was about the gigantic project in the Cazanelor Dunării area , Ivan limited himself to saying that “it would be good to do this too”.
Another project that has been talked about in the past is that of a hydroelectric power plant with pumping in Bistrita, on Lake Colibița, put on the table ten years ago, developed then by a local company, SC Hidro Electrica Transilvania SRL based in Satu Mare. There are not many references about this project, it was only said then that it would be an investment of 200 million euros.
The businessman Iulian Dascălu, the owner of the Iulius group, also wants to develop a pumped hydroelectric power plant project, Profit.ro reported a month ago . A company controlled by him resuscitated a pumped storage hydropower plant project of hundreds of MW, at least 12 years old, planned to be located in Neamț County, on Lake Bicaz (Izvorul Muntelui).
