Hydropower producer Hidroelectrica announced that it was starting on Friday the first stage of the complete drawdown of the Vidraru reservoir - Arges County; the estimated completion date of the process is February 28, 2026. The move is needed to ensure the technical conditions for carrying out the works under the "Refurbishment of the Vidraru Hydropower Facility" project, the company said in a release.
This is the first time that the Vidraru dam reservoir is emptied since 1974, a major technical work necessary for the assessment of the dam's condition and for the modernization of the hydroengineering structure and its equipment after almost 50 years of continuous operation.
"What we are starting now at Vidraru will produce positive effects for the next 40 years. It is practically a new lease of life for our producton capacities. We are working with modern technology, eliminating current restrictions and producing more energy, with a strategic balancing role for the entire system," explained Hidroelectrica CEO Karoly Borbely as cited in the release.
The operation is necessary in order to allow the technical interventions on the dam's mechanical and hydraulic equipment. The aim is to make the entire hydropower facility safe and ensure its operation for a new life cycle.
The controlled emptying of the reservoir will be done by turbines and then by evacuation through the dam's spillways in several successive stages between August 1 and February 28, 2026. In the final phases of the process, the water will be evacuated in a controlled manner downstream, into the Arges River, at rates between 20 and 47 cubic meters/s.
The EUR 188.382 million worth of contract (VAT excluded) for the refurbishment of the Vidraru Hydropower Facility was signed in July 2024 and is part of the company's investment strategy.
The Vidraru Hydropower Plant was commissioned on December 9, 1966; it harnesses the hydropower potential of the Arges River on a 28 km long stretch between Cumpana and Oiesti, having a gross fall of 324 meters. The reservoir has a total volume of 465 million cubic meters, of which the useful volume is 320 million cubic meters.
Hidroelectrica is Romania's largest green energy producer, supplying essential technological services for the National Energy System. The company operates 188 plants with a hydropower installed capacity of 6.4 GW and also owns the Crucea wind farm, with an installed capacity of 108 MW.
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