In the context of recent developments in the energy sector, more than ever, Transelectrica has a crucial role to play in the modernization and expansion of the national electricity transmission infrastructure. In addition, interconnection efforts with regional networks, including the Republic of Moldova, strengthen the strategic role of Transelectrica in ensuring the energy security of Romania and the region. We discussed these topics with Ștefăniță Munteanu, the president of the Transelectrica Directorate.
Given the growing interest in renewable energy sources, how is Transelectrica preparing to efficiently integrate the new wave of renewables into the national grid?
The integration of renewable energy sources is one of the main axes on which both the annual investment programs and the 10-year Network Development Plan are built. We have the responsibility to ensure energy security, and this objective is achieved primarily through infrastructure development. The development projects are framed by system areas, and their purpose is on the one hand to integrate renewable sources and on the other hand to increase cross-border capacity. We have projects in the south-eastern area of the SEN, where there are many requests for connection to the wind power plants. This year, one of the important projects for the Dobrogea area, namely the connection of the 400 kV lines Rahman – Dobrudja and Stupina – Varna in the Medgidia Sud station, was completed. We are also executing other projects with an essential role in the evacuation of production from the south-eastern area of the National Electroenergetic System to the rest of the system, namely the 400 kV Gutinaș-Smârdan lines and the transition to 400 kV of the Brazi West – Teleajen – Stâlpu Axis. There are important projects both for the integration of renewable sources and for the increase of cross-border capacity in the south-west area of the SEN, mainly projects replacing 220 kV networks with 400 kV lines and also where this is not possible thing, we have ongoing projects to increase the transmission capacity through re-conductor, an increase of at least 50% of the current capacity. In the western area, we are mainly talking about the 400 kV transition projects of the Banat Axis.
In the 2024-2033 Development Plan we have 18 investment projects whose main purpose is the efficient integration of the new wave of renewables, which are to be gradually put into operation by 2030-2031. Between them, new projects also appear, for example the new 400 kV line between Brașov and Stâlpu and many projects to increase the transport capacity on already existing lines.
For the transmission and system operator, at least in light of the fact that renewable power plants are concentrated in certain areas, the biggest challenge is to balance the system and give it flexibility in operation. And here the most convenient solution that we see is the need for storage sources in SEN correlated with the targets for wind and photovoltaic energy, and the need would be at least 4000 MW installed in storage at the level of 2030.
To get an idea of the wave of renewables, I can tell you that 688 connection requests are currently being processed, for wind, photovoltaic and storage facilities. Of these, 468 are applications in the process of obtaining ATR and Recoding Contracts. This year, 139 approvals were given, of which 9 were for storage facilities for capacities of 2,085 MW. We have signed 81 connection contracts for over 13,000 MW in photovoltaic and wind.
Compared to commissioning, in 2024 we have a total of 404 MW, of which 310 MW solar, 25 MW hydrocarbons, 3 MW biogas and 66 MW in storage.
What measures have you implemented to speed up the process of analysis and resolution of requests for Technical Approval of Connection (ATR) and how does digitization contribute or can contribute to increasing transparency in this process?
It is an extraordinarily large volume of data and documents that need to be processed, analyzed and resolved, but I can assure you that even now we are working at a very high level of transparency. All data are published on our website, updated monthly, in accordance with legal provisions. Indeed, we are considering the implementation of a digital solution, a platform to facilitate the communication process in particular, and to frame everything that is already transparent on the company’s website.
Apart from these transparency efforts, we are open to dialogue where clarification is needed. We meet whenever necessary with investors to discuss on time, in an attempt to clarify things as much as possible and to facilitate investments in Romania. In the end, this is what it’s all about: the development of the country and attracting as many investments and investors to the Romanian economy as possible. We, as the national operator of the electric transmission network, have every interest in the economy developing and we are doing everything we can to create conditions for economic growth.
What is the current status of the construction of the 400 kV ring and what steps are in the immediate future in the completion of this strategic project?
We are talking about two important sections of the 400 kV ring where progress has already been made this year and where we will open construction sites next year. The two sections are the south-east and north areas – where we have the works on the Banat Axis and the potion between Gădălin and Suceava and the south-east area of the ring where we have the 400 kV Gutinaș – Smârdan, 400 kV Cernavodă – Stâlpu LEA which includes both the internal line between Cernavodă and Stâlpu, as well as the extension of Cernavodă Station, the Extension of Gura Ialomiței Station and the modernization of Stâlpu Station.
To take them one by one, in the south-west area this year we recorded progress by completing the LEA 400 kV Porțile de Fier – (Anina) – Reșița and by putting into operation the 400 kV cell in Reșiţa Station which also allowed commercial operationalization of the 400 kV LEA interconnection Reșita (RO) – Pancevo (RS). At the beginning of the year, we will complete the refurbishment of the Reșita Station, and in October the start order was given for the design stage for the project of Refurbishing the 220 kV/110 kV station and building the 400 kV Timișoara station, stage of the 400 kV transition project of the Portile de Iron – Reșita – Timișoara – Săcălaz – Arad axis, a project funded by the Modernization Fund. Also on this area of the Ring, in September the design and execution contract was signed for the LEA 400 kV section Reșita – Timișoara – Săcălaz, for which we are waiting for the Government Decision on expropriations. We also have stage III of the axis, namely LEA 400 kV Timișoara-Arad, in the public procurement stage.
And to close the northern area, also under public procurement is the LEA 400 kV Gădălin – Suceava, a project that has been talked about for almost 20 years. This will be a very complex work, being one of the few high voltage lines that cross the Carpathian chain. In this case, we are talking about an investment of strategic importance to increase the safety in operation of the National Electric Power System and implicitly the supply of electricity to consumers under quality conditions and in compliance with the principles of sustainability.
On the south-eastern area of the 400 kV ring, there are ongoing construction sites: LEA Gutinaș – Smârdan, a project financed by POIM, which has a deadline of the second semester of 2025, the renovation of the Stâlpu station with a deadline of 2026. 400 kV Cernavodă Electric Line – Stâlpu was completed, as was the extension of the 400 kV Cernavodă station and the extension of the 400 kV Gura Ialomiței Station.
In short, all the segments required to close Romania’s 400 kV Ring are already in the works or in the procurement procedure. We have opened all fronts, there is no longer any investment only on paper. We managed to speed up the process through good collaboration with economic operators and especially with all state institutions, which understand the need to make investments in the energy infrastructure. We have a permanent dialogue with the Ministry of Energy, with the National Authority for Energy Regulation, with the Government of Romania. All these projects I have listed are the result of collaboration. Each of us, institutions, public or private economic operators, autonomous kings, local or central authorities, are aware of the fact that without sitting down at the table and shouldering each other’s shoulders, Romania cannot develop. And the fact that Transelectrica manages to start 22 new investments in one year is clear proof of this collaboration.
What is the status of projects funded by the Modernization Fund?
I’m starting with good news: we already have concrete results, that is, we have now finished, in November, a project among the investments financed from the Modernization Fund. I am referring here to the investment for telemetering, with a value of over 53 million lei, from the financing for the Digitization of the electricity transmission network in Romania by installing two online systems, for the metering and management of electricity measurement data on the wholesale market and for power quality monitoring. It is the first completed project with financing from the Modernization Fund and we are coming with the others as well.
The other projects with funding from the Modernization Fund, as I said before, are in various stages of either acquisition or implementation. In addition to the ones I have already mentioned: Reșița-Timișoara/ Săcălaz axis, Timișoara – Arad line, Gădălin – Suceava line, Brazi West – Teleajen – Stâlpu axis, we signed the contract for LEA 400 kV Constanța Nord – Medgidia Sud, we have the project to install modern means of reactive power compensation in the Sibiu Sud and Bradu stations, the LEA optimization project is under implementation for the Dobrogea area. The renovation of Mostiștea Station, the 10th financing contract from the Modernization Fund, is in the design stage, and in the next period we will start the procurement for the 11th project with financing from the Modernization Fund – LEA Isaccea – Tulcea West.
We believe that the pace of implementation will accelerate with the ordinance for the modification and completion of some normative acts in the field of investments regarding the electricity transmission network that we initiated with the support of the Ministry of Energy. But the pace also depends a lot on the issuance of GDs for expropriations, removal from the forest fund, which has a cascading effect on the pace of obtaining the necessary authorizations.
How is the collaboration and interconnection with the regional energy networks evolving, especially with the Republic of Moldova, and what deadlines should we consider for the major projects underway in this regard?
It is increasingly clear that Romania plays an important role in the region, within the interconnected European electricity network, and the consolidation and development of interconnections is one of the priorities of the network development plans. At this time, through the interconnections we have with all our neighbors, we have a cross-border exchange capacity of up to 3,500 – 4,000 MW. By 2030, the target we need to reach is over 7,000 MW. On the border with Serbia, we operationalized the Reșița-Pancevo LEA in November and we are planning a second circuit for the 400 kV Portile de Fier (RO) – Djerdap (RS) LEA. And on the border with Hungary we have two more projects in the plan proposal for the period 2024-2033, namely the second circuit on the LEA 400 kV Oradea – Beckescsaba and a new 400 kV single-circuit line 120 km long, between Oradea (RO) stations and Jozsa (Debrecen) (HU).
Regarding the interconnection with the Republic of Moldova, next year we will start the investment for the 400 kV LEA Suceava – Bălți, on the territory of Romania. In addition, we have already included in the Development Plan proposal for the next 10 years, a new interconnection, namely the 400 kV Gutinaș – Strășeni Line. This second new interconnection is in the preliminary stages of analysis and preparation.
In order to strengthen energy security in the region, we are considering and analyzing options for the development of interconnections with Ukraine.
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The interview first appeared in the printed edition of Energynomics Magazine in early December 2024.
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