The companies Hidroelectrica and SINTEF have started the implementation of the project “Networking, exchange, sharing and transfer of knowledge, technology, experience and practices in the field of electricity production in hydropower plants,” Hidroelectrica announces.
In March 2024, the first information regarding the opening of the “Open Call for Bilateral Cooperation in the Green Transition” was published. The presentation workshop took place on April 23, 2024, with the allocated budget of 1,250 million euros, within the EEA & Norway Grants 2014 – 2021 financing instrument.
The EEA and Norwegian grants are funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The grants have two objectives – to contribute to an equal Europe, both socially and economically – and to strengthen the relations between Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway and the 15 beneficiary states in Europe. The objective of the grants is to reduce social and economic disparities and to strengthen bilateral relations. This strengthens the internal market, leading to a more prosperous Europe.
“Considering that applying to this call is an opportunity to better contribute to the energy transition in Europe by strengthening the collaboration with one of the most important representatives of the Norwegian and global hydropower sector, by carrying out well-defined activities related to our common needs of improvement and development, benefiting from financing under the EEA & Norway Grants Program, the team of specialists in accessing financing from Hidroelectrica developed and submitted the financing application within the requested deadline, on May 31, 2024,” the press release reads, according to Agerpres.
According to the conditions mentioned in the call documents, Hidroelectrica and SINTEF were considered eligible to access this financing instrument, which represents an opportunity for Hidroelectrica to obtain specialized support from a company with European experience, for the development of the knowledge and skills of its own specialists in the implementation at the company level of modern solutions to optimize the programming of the operation of hydroelectric power plants that will lead to the efficiency of production and subsequently of the commercialization of electricity produced from renewable sources in the capacities in the portfolio.
Following the signing of the Hidroelectrica – SINTEF Partnership Agreement on 21 October 2024 and its approval by the Fund Operator Innovation Norway, as a result of the evaluation carried out by EEA & Norway Grants on 23.10.2024 and the Project Contract (Grant Offer Letter) no. . 2024/392262, which approved the access to non-refundable financing in the amount of 214,459 euros, within the Financial Mechanism 2014-2021: “Open Call for Bilateral Cooperation in the Green Transition”, the implementation has started, at the level of the two partner companies Hidroelectrica and SINTEF Project “Networking, exchange, sharing and transfer of knowledge, technology, experience and practices in the field of electricity production in hydropower plants.”
Hidroelectrica, the most important Romanian electricity production company with a long history in the operation of hydropower plants, aiming at the further development of a sustainable energy system, will carry out this project together with the Norwegian company SINTEF, recognized as a world leader in solutions to optimize operation programming hydroelectric power plants.
Hidroelectrica operates 187 hydropower plants with a total capacity of 6.3 GW and owns a wind farm with an installed power of 108 MW, covering 13.9% of the competitive electricity market in the country.