The new gas fired power station in Brazi, built by oil and gas company OMV Petrom, was inaugurated yesterday (October 16 ) with a ceremony attended by Romania's Prime Minister Victor Ponta and European Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger.

The new power station required a total investment of EUR 530 million and, according to the company, is the largest private greenfield energy production project carried out in Romania in the last 20 years.

OMV Petrom has invested around EUR 8 billion since 2005 and reinvested “almost all” profits, according to OMV Group CEO Gerhard Roiss, who also attended the opening. He said the new plant, like other investments will “further strengthen the company's position and prevent expensive energy import dependence Romania. This will contribute to making Romania a leading energy player in the region.”

The new power station can supply electricity at a rate of up 1.8 TWh annually and has 860 MW capacity. This translates as just under 9 percent of Romania's energy consumption, or in other words Bucharest's total electricity supply. OMV Petrom claims the new plant is twice as efficient as the average for Romanian power stations and that Carbon Dioxide emissions will be below the European average.

Liam Lever, liam@romania-insider.com

photo source: courtesy of OMV Petrom