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Works resume on Iernut power station
Romgaz, through the Iernut Electric Power Production branch, on Tuesday handed over to Duro Felguera SA the location for the start of works to achieve the investment objective Iernut power station, a new thermoelectric plant with a combined cycle that involves gas turbines, told Agerpres.
The Iernut thermal power station is strategically positioned at the heart of Romania's national power grid. This project is designed to cover the national electricity consumption by acting on the wholesale and balancing electricity markets providing technological services for the national grid, eliminating possible blockages in the network in northwestern Romania. The installed power of the gas station is 430 MW.
The station includes four gas turbines plus four recovery boilers for steam production of three pressure levels and two steam turbines. Funds are provided under the National Investment Plan.
"It is the most anticipated electricity production project in Romania in recent years. Unfreezing this investment required a sustained effort on all levels: economic, legal, diplomatic. I want to thank all those who have contributed to this success and congratulate them on their perseverance. This is a strategic investment that brings us closer to a desired goal that we have stated since taking over the term of office: safe energy from internal production at a fair price. The investment is coupled with the Neptun Deep project, which Romgaz is also dealing with together with OMV Petrom that will make Romania the most important producer of natural gas in Europe from 2027. The geographical location of the Iernut plant is particularly important for the operation of the power grid in the entire northwestern area of the country. Now we have all the chances to complete this investment," Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja is quoted s saying in a press statement released by the Energy Ministry.
In 2016, the national gas producer Romgaz signed a contract with Duro Felguera and Romelectro for the construction of a new power station for the production of electricity by the Iernut thermal power station. The station should have been commissioned in early 2020, according to the initial plans. The insolvency of the two companies led to an extremely complicated legal situation and delays in implementation.
The deadline for the completion of the gas-fired electricity production facility of an installed power of 430 MW was set at 16 months of the date of the order to resume works under a new contract with Spanish company Duro Felguera.
"On August 1, 2023, by issuing the order to start the works, the completion of the Iernut power station, a strategic project of Romgaz and Romania, enters the finish line. Thus, we manage to continue the investment project and effectively enter the stage of the development of the new contract for the commissioning of the station in the shortest possible time. We are carefully monitoring the development of the contract for the completion of the works and will continue to periodically inform the capital market and investors about progress made," according to Romgaz Director General Razvan Popescu.
