Distributie Energie Electrică Romania (DEER) will invest about 100 million euro annually, says Mihaela Suciu, general director of the company. She says that DEER has allocated considerable funds to modernize the power distribution network, but even so, even broader investments would be needed.
“Transportation and distribution of energy are essential in the energy transition. Energy is in everything, the power of energy is immense. The energy produced by producers is not consumed in the same place, which is why we need strong distribution systems. All energy projects need strong distribution systems that are ready to face all challenges. The reality on the ground is with us, the electricity distribution operators.
“DEER ensures the delivery of electricity in 18 counties. Over 80% of our networks are built before 2000, so they require massive investment in modernization. We committed to annual investments of 100 million euros, but these are not enough,” said Mihaela Suciu during a conference, according to Transilvania Business.
“In the given context, the DEER team acts on several levels. We must ensure the continuity of energy distribution to end customers, to deal with interruptions, respecting the standards imposed by the National Energy Regulatory Authority with reference to their duration. In parallel, we are thinking about projects for the future. At DEER we have a dedicated design team with over 200 specialists. Our objective is to act to take the pressure off the end users. We have submitted 30 projects to access European funds, through the Modernization Fund. So far, contracts worth over 3 billion lei have been signed, representing projects that will go into execution.
“Sure, we admit that we have to work more towards tradition than towards innovation because we are tributary to customs from the past. But today we are talking about an electricity distribution system and we are taking concrete steps towards digitization and innovation. Expectations must be calibrated over time, miracles cannot happen overnight.
“Certainly, starting from 2025, 2026, the impact of the investments we are making now will be seen. Another aspect is the lack of executors for the multitude of projects. We need executors. It’s a big problem in the market, we all need to be aware of it. We dynamically identify problems and challenges. We have specialists at DEER, but we must make a common front and have the same approach”, added Mihaela Suciu.
