The National Electric Energy Transport Company Transelectrica SA signed the 11th financing contract from the Modernization Fund, respectively for the implementation of the investment objective “Pilot Project DigiTEL Power Lines of the Future – Trecerea LEA 400 kV Isaccea – Tulcea West from single circuit to double circuit”, with a non-refundable value of 64 million euro. The contract was signed at the headquarters of the Ministry of Energy by the Minister of Energy, Mr. Sebastian Burduja, and the President of the Directorate of CNTEE Transelectrica SA, Ștefăniță Munteanu.
“Transelectrica continuously fulfills with responsibility its main mission to ensure and maintain the safety of the National Electric Power System, and this financing represents a new affirmation of the commitment and the potential modernization and digital transformation of the network, in accordance with the European vision and trends in the energy sector, and completes the amount of financing from European funds obtained by our company in the last two years, thus reaching 582 million euros. It is a real performance, which would not have been possible without the professionalism of exceptional teams from different areas of the Company’s activity: access to European funds, investments, new technologies and innovation,” said Ștefăniță Munteanu, President of the Transelectrica Directorate.
The investment aims at the design and construction of a double-circuit 400 kV overhead power line, between Isaccea and Tulcea Vest stations, by replacing the existing single-circuit 400 kV overhead power line and installing two 400 kV cells in the two stations and using the first given in the Romanian Electric Transport Network of some innovative tubular poles. The current single circuit line was put into operation in 1975, it is 31 kilometers long with all poles in lattice construction. LEA 400 kV Isaccea – Tulcea Vest has an essential role in the evacuation of energy from renewable sources in the Dobrogea area where the renewable energy potential is the highest in the country. By modernizing and doubling the transport capacity between Isaccea and Tulcea Vest stations, the transfer capacity with neighboring states will also increase.
A specific objective of the project will also be digitization at the operational level, by introducing innovative technologies and concepts needed to improve the efficiency of the operation and observability of the network. Thus, in the design stage, advanced 3D modeling concepts will be used, being the first 400 kV overhead power line modeled in the Building Information Modeling – BIM standard. Also, robotics elements will be implemented in the operation of the line, namely the use of autonomous drones in network surveillance activities and online monitoring of the technical condition using dedicated sensors.
At the same time, the construction of the second circuit for the 400 kV overhead power line Isaccea – Tulcea West contributes significantly to the increase of transfer capacity in the region, the reduction of total power losses in the system, the reduction of CO2 emissions and the increase of the integration of renewable sources.
The realization of this investment will improve the performance indicators of the Electric Transmission Network by ensuring a high availability of the assets of the Electric Energy Transport System (RET), consolidating and increasing the operational efficiency of the RET, increasing flexibility in operation and by reducing maintenance costs.