Compania Municipală Termoenergetica Bucharest (CMTEB) S.A. announces that the five modular thermal energy production capacities have been put into operation, at the location of the former CET Titan, technological tests having already been carried out in the last week. Currently, they provide a source of thermal energy production for approximately 200 blocks located in the perimeter of Lucrețiu Pătrășcanu, Morarilor, Constantin Brâncusi, Șoseaua Vergului, Bulevardului Basarabia and Șoseaua Pantelimon (between Piața Delfinului and Cora Hypermarket).
“Bucharest had a balanced network of power plants, with two large power plants in the West, two other large ones in the South and two more large ones in the North-East area, one right on this location (…) and one more in the Pipera area. The one in Pipera and the one here, in Titan, were closed: the first in 2007, and the second in 2014, the consequence being that the system became unbalanced, and the negative effects were felt especially in the Eastern and North-Eastern areas. Now comes this new capacity. The whole system has a capacity of 1,000 GCal/h, we add an additional 60 GCal/h, that is an increase of 6%. Concretely, for 200 blocks, which are in the area, the thermal energy comes only from this plant,” said the General Mayor of the Municipality of Bucharest, Nicușor Dan.
The supply of heating agent for hot water and heat will be felt especially in the East and North-East area, where, after the closure of CET Titan, in 2014, the supply of heating agent to homes was ensured from a very long distance, through CTE Sud (Elcen). As the new modular capacities will be integrated into the heating system, the delivery parameters will be improved for the other thermal points that remain fed via CTE Sud.
“Our heating strategy shows, since 2017, three deficient areas, respectively: Titan, Colentina and Aviației. This power plant from Titan solves the problem of blocks of flats in this area and indeed, improves the circulation including in the area of Colentina. Thermal energy, which came precisely from CET Sud for the blocks in the Titan area, now goes to the Colentina area and helps the supply in this area. We are still looking for land in the area of Colentina and Aviatiei to be able to balance the heating network. It is a very important step and although not all the problems in Bucharest have been solved, we are on the right track, especially since it is a temporary solution, the plant being built in just six months. Importantly, during last week, when it was the coldest week in four years, modular capabilities helped us. We haven’t had a week with minus 7 C for four years, and the operation of this plant was felt in the entire heating system,” said the General Director of the Municipal Termoenergetica Company, Claudiu Crețu.
According to the director of the company, a very important thing is represented by the fact that it is new, flexible technology, in the summer period, when the construction sites will be opened with European funds, it will help the area a lot, because it will be possible to supply hot water for customers from this plant as well.
“In July, there were always problems in the Pantelimon Titan area, because the CET SUD was undergoing revision. Now, with this zoning we will no longer have emotions in the summer because we will supply hot water from this plant, which at the moment supplies two hundred blocks of flats, but technical maneuvers are still being made to balance the system and to expand the operating area “, said Claudiu Crețu.
The modular capacities have an installed thermal power between 30 Gcal/h and 60 Gcal/h, depending on the regulation diagram, in the winter season and 10 Gcal/h and 15 Gcal/h in the summer season. The need for additional water (treated) to complete the volume lost in the CMTEB primary thermal networks is of 50 tons/h. Their installation was carried out on the site in Ion Șahighian street no. 4, of District 3.
This source of thermal energy production is a temporary solution until the implementation of an investment project by the land owner.
“The correct solution is represented by high-efficiency cogeneration. It is efficient to produce electricity and thermal energy from gas, but the completion of a solution that works in cogeneration takes several years. We chose this provisional solution, because we could no longer tell the population to wait another three or four years. We looked for the quick fix to solve the problems. Here, in 6-7 months, these boilers could be put into operation, which we let work while a CET can be made that works with energy efficiency,” added the CMTEB Director.
The services related to the rental of the modular capacities for the production of thermal energy and additional water, respectively: assembly, installation, design, obtaining the approvals and authorizations necessary for the commissioning of the installations, as well as the supervision of the operation, maintenance, training of the personnel, were carried out by to the economic operator, S.C. Energofor.