Mircea Fechet: "I hope that by the end of the year we will have the first kilowatt of electricity produced in the development of Răstoliţa"

The completion of the construction of the Răstoliţa hydropower plant, "the first one built from scratch after the Revolution", was the topic of yesterday's discussion between the representatives of the Ministry of Environment and those of the Ministry of Energy, Minister Mircea Fechet said in a post on Facebook.

The Minister of the Environment, Waters and Forests, Mircea Fechet, said: "I hope that by the end of the year we will have the first kilowatt of electricity produced in the development of Răstoliţa, which, in addition to cheap and clean energy, will contribute to reducing electricity bills and protecting the environment , especially in the current context when climate change increases the risk of flooding. Răstoliţa will ensure the regularization of water flows in dry periods and the control of floods in periods with significant precipitation, given that the Răstoliţa reservoir is designed to contribute to a 30% reduction in floods".

For his part, Sebastian Burduja, the Minister of Energy, said: The project is now in the phase of obtaining the environmental consent, and we are doing everything possible to complete the work this year. It is a landmark moment, the Răstoliţa hydropower plant being the first to be built from scratch after the Revolution. This project brings multiple advantages for Romanians. First, it provides cheap and clean energy, which will help reduce electricity bills and protect the environment. (...) In addition, these hydropower plants are essential for the energy security of the country, ensuring a sustainable and stable energy system. These projects not only support the transition to cleaner energy, but also strengthen national energy security, to have an energy system reliable and sustainable in the future".

The project, an investment of 200 million euros, is carried out by Hidroelectrica and is in the phase of obtaining the environmental agreement. According to the Ministry of the Environment, along with other similar objectives such as Bumbeşti Livezeni, Paşcani, Cornetu-Avrig, Cerna-Belareca, Bistra-Poiana Mărului and Surduc Siriu, the Răstolniţa hydropower plant will strengthen Romania's energy infrastructure and support the transition to cleaner energy, ensuring a sustainable and stable energy system.

In a press release, the Ministry of the Environment states: "The Răstoliţa hydropower development is an investment objective of national interest, which capitalizes on the hydraulic potential of the right tributaries of the Mureş River, on the Lunca Bradului - Răstoliţa - Bistra sector. Răstoliţa is designed for an installed power of 35.2 MW and a clean energy production of about 117 GWh/year. Also, the completion of the project will lead to the development of drinking water supply systems for the towns located on the Mureş corridor and in the peripheral area of the Transylvanian Plain".

The Ministry of the Environment reminds that last year the Government issued the normative act by which ten projects of the Hidroelectrica company, mainly started and unfinished hydropower plants, including Răstoliţa, were classified as projects of national interest, after their list was approved by the Supreme Council of National Defense, which no longer needs environmental impact studies.