Romania's government will "unblock and accelerate" ten hydropower projects with a total installed capacity of 700 MW, where RON 12 billion (EUR 2.4 billion) was already invested, energy minister Sebastian Burduja announced, according to Economica.net. 

The state-controlled group Hidroelectrica (BVB: H2O) carries out the projects.

Minister Burduja has not explained why these projects are blocked and how they would be unblocked, but other comments made by him on the same day point to the opposition of green activists and environmental permits.

According to sources familiar with the matter consulted by Ecionomica.net, it concerns a package of plants, both started and unfinished, that are likely to be completed by 2033 at the latest and are part of Hidroelectrica's heritage. The total installed capacity of these plants is almost 711 MW. 

Some of these projects are almost finished – 89% is the degree of completion at Răstolița (35.2 MW) or Livezeni-Bumbești (65.1 MW) and 90% at Cena-Motru-Tismana (119 MW), and their completion has been talked about for several years. 

The closest commissioning dates are 2026 for Răstolița and 2027 for the hydroelectric power plants on the Jiu (Livezeni-Bumbești). 

The furthest commissioning, in 2033, is the southernmost power plant on the Olt, the one at Islaz (28.8 MW), which is very important because, once completed, Hidroelectriva will be able to be used in reversible mode, and in pump mode, several hydroelectric power plants located further upstream on the Olt.

iulian@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Iwayne Stadler/Dreamstime.com)