The system managed by Bucharest's thermal energy distributor RADET loses over 2,000 tons of hot water every hour, according to liberal Ciprian Ciucu, a member of the capital’s General Council.

“Today the loss reached 2,000 tons per hour! Without investments, the RADET network is in a very bad shape and so the pressure needs to be increased for the heat to reach the houses. And when the pressure goes up other damages occur. It’s a vicious circle,” Ciucu wrote in a Facebook post.

Energy specialists quoted by local G4media.ro estimate that the amount of water that is lost translates into financial losses of EUR 170,000 per day for RADET. This loss is covered equally by the citizens and by the City Hall, which subsidizes the company.

RADET Bucharest, which is in insolvency, manages the largest heating system in Romania and holds 43% of the market. It provides thermal energy for approximately 562,000 apartments, as well as for about 4,900 institutions and businesses. About three quarters of the pipeline network is almost 40 years old, according to G4media.ro.

RADET has to deal with many breakdowns of the public heating system throughout the year. For example, most recently, another breakdown of the system has left 180 apartment buildings and thousands of residents without heating and hot water.

Irina Marica, irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Pixabay.com)