Hidroelectrica inaugurated Thursday, at Prundea, part of Surduc-Siriu hydropower organization, the longest water adduction of Romania achieved since 1984, said a press release sent to energynomics.ro. Surduc-Siriu hydropower project is carried out in the counties of Buzău, Vrancea, and Covasna, on Buzău, Bâsca Mare, Bâsca Mică and Zabala rivers, and was started in 1981.
Surduc-Nehoiașu water connection lead the water from Surduc accumulation to Nehoiașu hydroelectric power plant and has a length of approximately 16.6 kilometers, a flow of 40cm/s and an inner diameter of 4 meters. From the point of view of construction, the gallery is circular on the inside and protected throughout the entire length with a 30-35 cm thick of cement protection.
The implementation of this gallery was approached on 8 locations, at Bâsca Mare, Titilău, Pruncea, Trestiana and Castel. Currently, the last section of the underground segment is executed (Trestia-Castel section), which marks the completion of the excavation, ensuring its completion on the entire length of 16.6 km through the mountain range of Buzău, claimed the press release.
The completion of Surduc-Nehoiașu bypass will allow the installation at Nehoiașu hydroelectric plant of the largest electricity generating capacity commissioned by Hidroelectrica since early 1990s (citat)
Surduc-Nehoiașu branch, composed from the main Surduc-Nehoiașu aquaduct and the related pressure node, is a first for the last 20 years, in several respects: it has the longest water gallery excavated for energy utilization, and the longest forced gallery (2.540m); provides the biggest hydraulic fall that Hidroelectrica has in execution (approx. 490 meters); traverses an area of great geological complexity characterized by alternating shales (hard and soft) and sandstones (hard and brittle), which presents a high risk of geological accidents, doubled by the tectonic aspects of Vrancea-Buzău area and is the largest of investments in execution of Hidroelectrica.
Completing the branching will allow the installation at Nehoiașu hydroelectric plant of the largest electricity production capacity commissioned by Hidroelectrica in the early 1990s, the unit possessing an installed capacity of 55 MW and an estimated electricity production in the average hydrological year of 171.8 GWh.
Surduc-Siriu hydropower project is complex and takes place in several stages, reviewed systematically in the light of technical and economic optimization. The amount of money used so far for Surduc-Nehoiașu water line amounts to approx. 600 million lei, the remaining being approx. 250 million lei, so the investment will reach almost 850 million lei.
At Surduc-Siriu operates, since 1988, Nehoiașu I hydropower plant, with two hydropower units with a total installed capacity of 42 MW and an average power production measured at 120.6 GWh/year. The investment at Siriu-Surduc is part of Hidroelectrica investment plan for the period between 2015 and 2020.
The budget allocated by Hidroelectrica for development-refurbishment-maintenance is over 1.3 billion euro. These works include new hydropower installations: 450 million euros in projects in progress (Siriu-Surduc, Racoviţa, Bretea, Răstoliţa, Dumitra-Bumbeşti, etc); upgrading existing hydropower facilities: 305 million euro in the refurbishment of four big capacity hydroelectric plant: Stejaru (with a capacity of 210 MW), Vidraru (with an installed capacity of 220 MW), Râul Mare Retezat (with an installed capacity of 335 MW), Mărișelu (with an installed capacity of 220 MW) and in modernization of hydro units; maintenance of existing hydropower facilities: 240 million euros in maintenance works with capitalization, the acquisition and development of new production from other renewable sources (wind, solar, biomass): 300 million euros for investment in new production capacities based on renewable sources.
