The Iernut gas plant is expected to be operational by the end of December, and 90-92% of the work is currently underway, Romgaz CEO Adrian Volintiru told a news conference on Wednesday.

“Certainly the Iernut plant must be operational by the end of December. We have no other solution and we will continue to make every effort to have it turnkey then. Iernut is a turnkey investment. (…) General Electric, in this project, as a third party, is a big plus for us and will help us achieve this goal. At the moment the works are completed in a proportion of 90 to 92%,” said Adrian Volintiru, according to Agerpres.

He stressed that one of the main reasons for the delay in the works at the plant was the Covid-19 pandemic because “no more than 200-220 people could be present on the site, given that, realistically, there is a work front for 700 people.”

Romgaz signed, in 2016, a contract worth 268 million euro, excluding VAT, with the companies Duro Felguera and Romelectro, for the construction of a new power plant for electricity production within the Iernut thermal power plant. The plant should have been put into operation in early 2020.