Bogdan Tudorache

The works on the capital’s district heating network will start in the spring of next year, following the completion of the tender procedures, an ELCEN official told energynomics.ro.

Yesterday, the Bucharest City Hall signed the contract for financing the rehabilitation of the thermal energy distribution system in Bucharest, which provides a financing of 1.6 billion lei, of which 1.3 billion of non-reimbursable European money.

“The contract has been signed, now the tender procedures can be launched, after which the works will start, probably in May-June 2021, considering that the tender procedures and the signing of contracts can take several months. The project is a big one, normally it should be completed in three years, according to European procedures, but I think that, because is about modernizing more than 200 km of the network, it will not be finished, but will be divided in stages also for the next European financial year,” said the quoted source.

“The proceedings will start with the utmost urgency. The auction procedures will be completed this winter,” added the quoted source. The financing contract provides for the restoration of 210 km from the about 1,000 km of the overall network.

From 2016 to 2020, the number of damages in the district heating network increased from 420 to 1,300. The loss of thermal energy efficiency increased by 5%, also significantly surging the amount of water to be introduced into the network, said the mayor of Bucharest, Nicușor Dan.