Rețele Electrice Banat will modernize the electricity distribution infrastructure in several neighbourhoods in the municipality of Arad, the modernization works to be awarded through a public tender. The company Rețele Electrice Muntenia, part of the PPC Group in Romania, has launched, through the public procurement information system, the procedure for the acquisition of works worth 83.4 million lei, the beneficiary being the operator Rețele Electrice Banat.
The project will target the Aradul Nou area, and the works will consist of modernization, by partially passing underground, of 16.5 km of medium voltage network, respectively 40.5 km of low voltage network; also, 23 transformer substations and 1,770 connections will be modernized. Beneficiaries of these works are to be existing and future customers in that area.
“These modernization works in the historic area of Arad will have a significant impact on the quality of life of the inhabitants, ensuring their access to a more reliable and secure electricity grid. The placement of lines underground and the modernization of transformer substations and connections will increase the resilience of the grid to unforeseen events, such as extreme weather conditions, and will contribute to a constant and quality supply of electricity, essential for the comfort and safety of our community,” said Mihai Vangu, Director of Rețele Electrice Banat.
From the Fântânele transformer station, with an installed power of 50 MVA, the 20 kV Aradul Nou and 20 kV Prefabricated LEA medium voltage lines are powered, the first of which supplies the Sânicolaul Mic, Aradul Nou, Subcetate and Mureșel districts of Arad municipality.
These works will reduce the exposure of the medium voltage network to adverse weather conditions and will contribute to improving the urban landscape. Also, remote control systems, telemetry equipment and fiber optics will be introduced. A connection point (CP, 20kV-20kV) will also be set up where the looping of the new underground lines will be carried out, allowing the continuous supply of consumers even in the event of a fault on a segment of the line, by redirecting the flow of energy through an alternative route.
The low-voltage network will be upgraded by replacing the existing overhead lines with underground lines (LES 0.4 kV), over a total length of 40.5 km. This process will contribute to increasing the reliability of the network and reducing technical losses, while ensuring the passage of overhead connections and public lighting underground.
The transformer substations will be fully equipped, including automation elements for connection to the remote control system.
At the same time, for 2,670 consumers in the Aradul Nou neighborhood, whose metering groups have been moved to the property limit, the distribution columns will be rebuilt, ensuring a modernized infrastructure ready for the future.
The works aim to improve the quality of the electricity distribution service for customers in the Aradul Nou area, with a direct influence on network losses, as well as on individual consumption at the level of homes, generating a lower local carbon dioxide footprint.
The project has a total value of 86.7 million lei, excluding VAT, of which the maximum insured value from the Modernization Fund is 67.4 million lei.
The deadline for submitting bids is October 1, 2024, and the works will last 25 months from the conclusion of the contract.