Ministry of Energy is exploring the possibility of building rather smaller storage hydroelectric centrals, throughout the country, instead of the major project Tarniţa, estimated at one billion euros, said the Energy minister, Victor Grigorescu, during a debate organized by the Committee for Industries and services of the Chamber of Deputies.

This is a second large project that Romania gives up after officials said last week we no longer need to build the Romanian-Turkey power Black Sea cable.

He pointed out that so far, the Tarniţa-Lăpuşteşti project results are nill, although the state spent three million euros for it.

“We will analyze whether, instead of the project Tarniţa, we can build plants with pumping storage of smaller powers throughout the country. There are no studies yet done in this regard, but there were made preliminary assessments. Currently, we are studying the possibility to allocate money from European funds or Norwegian funds in order for Romania to establish whether, where and how could install this type of power. We have to have alternatives for a central worth one billion euros, to have some centrals funded separately. They could be funded by the banking market”, said the minister, quoted by Agerpres.

The pumping storage plant project at Tarniţa-Lăpuşteşti dates back to 1970s and involves 1,000 MW of greenfield investment, estimated at around one billion euros without VAT.

The central has the role of balancing the Romanian energy system.

The plant would have been located in northwestern Romania, about 30 kilometers from the city of Cluj-Napoca, on Somesul Cald river valley. Tarniţa-Lăpuşteşti plant construction was expected to be achieved in 5-7 years, and over 4,000 jobs would have been created, according to the website dedicated to the project.