Refilling of the Vidraru dam reservoir will begin at the end of March, with experts estimating that by October the water level could reach the minimum technical threshold required to restart hydropower operations, supply downstream localities and Bucharest, and resume electricity production, Marius Vilcescu, director of the Curtea de Arges Hydropower Plant branch, told AGERPRES.
"It is an investment of over 200 million euros spanning 90 months. We are now in the second year, the most important so far, as it required emptying the Vidraru reservoir - a process started last year and completed in January. We have three months of intensive work on the hydromechanical equipment of the bottom spillways and the energy intake. By March 31, these works must be completed. After that, the valves will be closed and refilling will begin. Depending on precipitation, we hope the lake will reach the minimum technical level by October, allowing operation of one hydro-aggregate for downstream water supply, including Bucharest. If hydrological conditions are favorable, we expect the plant to resume electricity production in October," Vilcescu explained.
He noted that more than 20 construction sites are active simultaneously, operating "at full speed" with minimum 12-hour schedules, and that equipment deliveries - including transformers, valves and grates - have already begun.
Hidroelectrica initiated the first stage of the controlled emptying of the Vidraru reservoir on August 1, 2025, to enable refurbishment works under the "Refurbishment of the Vidraru Hydropower Facility" project. This is the first complete emptying of the reservoir since 1974, a major technical operation required to assess the dam's condition and modernize the hydroengineering structure and equipment after nearly 50 years of continuous operation.
The intervention is necessary to allow work on the dam's mechanical and hydraulic systems, with the objective of securing the entire hydropower facility for a new operational life cycle. The refurbishment contract, worth 188.382 million euros (excluding VAT), was signed in July 2024 as part of Hidroelectrica's investment strategy.
Commissioned on December 9, 1966, the Vidraru Hydropower Plant harnesses the hydropower potential of the Arges River over a 28-km stretch between Cumpana and Oiesti, with a gross head of 324 meters. The reservoir has a total volume of 465 million cubic meters, of which 320 million cubic meters represent useful storage.
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