Elcen has submitted three projects to modernize and increase the efficiency of the Progresu, CET West and CET Sud power plants, worth 370 million euro, and after their implementation the operating efficiency will increase to 98% and the gigacalories price will decrease, said the minister of Economy, Virgil Popescu, according to Agerpres.

“In the presence of the Prime Minister and the General Mayor of the Capital, we had a very serious and very applied discussion, together with the Elcen management and my colleagues Secretary of State Dan Dragan, who deals with the Modernization Fund, and with Mrs. Nicolescu (Daniela Nicolescu). (…) Today we discussed at the ministry, we looked at the projects submitted to the Modernization Fund and Elcen submitted three projects for the modernization and increase of the efficiency of the Progresu, CET West and South power plants in this way so that we are talking about a total of 370 million euro, projects that will be financed by the Modernization Fund starting next year. We are talking about an increase in energy efficiency and operating efficiency from 50% now to 97-98% after modernization. Basically, we are talking about a decrease in the price of a gigacalorie, increasing the efficiency, we are talking about balancing the heating system of Bucharest,” said Popescu, at the end of the discussions.

He stressed that, at the moment, for the north of the Capital, thermal energy is being pumped from CET Sud.

“There is an imbalance there and we have another project that another company of ours, SAPE, is doing on the site of the old CET Titan thermal power plant. We are talking about an investment of 58 million euro to build a new CET, with the same efficiency, of 50 MW and when we complete this investment we can say that the heating system of Bucharest is with high efficiency cogeneration and ensures both the energy security of Bucharest, by producing electricity on the Bucharest ring, and thermal security by providing the heating agent,” the Minister of Economy also stated.