The investments involved in the restructuring plan of the Oltenia Energy Complex, the country’s second largest producer of electricity in terms of installed capacity, amount to 7 billion lei only for the decarbonization part, according to sources quoted by e-nergia.ro.
The restructuring program is the subject of a feasibility study which was commissioned by the management of CE Oltenia. The consultant was selected but the study has not yet been delivered. According to the information, the preliminary conclusions indicate that this decarbonization program costs a total of about 7 billion lei, of which 5.5 billion is the conversion from coal to gas to energy groups and 1.5 billion lei worth of investments in renewables.
According to the information so far, the restructuring plan involves the phased closure of four energy groups in three thermal power plants operated by the company, but only after gas groups and four coal mining quarries will be put into operation.
At CET Craiova 2, the restructuring program talks about the closure of the two current groups of 150 MW starting with 2025, according to the data so far, which may change, depending on the final result of the feasibility study. These capacities will be replaced by a 200 MW energy block in gas cogeneration, put into operation a year earlier, in 2024.
In Ișalnița, block no. 8 will be closed starting with 2025, and block 7 starting with 2026. The program shows that each of these groups will be replaced by a gas group of 400 MW. Each will be put into operation a year before the closure of the coal unit it replaces – in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
In Turceni, a 330 MW group will be closed – group 3, in 2025. This is after a 400 MW gas group will be operational in 2024.
In addition to the conversion, the decarbonization plan involves the construction of two micro hydropower plants, one of 10 MW to be located at SE Turceni and one of 2 MW to be located at SE Ișalnița. The construction of the first would start in 2022, and of the second, in 2023. The project includes the construction of photovoltaic parks, of 300 MW in total, which would be installed on slag and ash deposits closed at the Rovinari, Turceni and Ișanița thermal power plants, where the works will start in 2023 and will be completed in 2025.