"Transelectrica" has three interconnection line projects

The company "Transelectrica" S.A. has three ongoing interconnection line projects which will increase Transelectrica"s transit to the neighboring countries. Stelian Gal, general manager of "Transelectrica", stated, Friday, in a conference held in Arad, that the company has a project for an interconnection with Serbia through a Reşiţa - Pancevo 400 kv line. The project is currently in the feasibility study stage.

Mr. Gal also stated that another interconnection project is Suceava- Bălţi, which ties Romania to the Republic of Moldova and which is also in the feasibility study stage. "Transelectrica" will fund the entire investment by itself through an EBRD loan. Also interested in this investment is Italy"s electricity transmission operatorInvolved?

Transelectrica"s most important interconnection project is the undersea cable connecting Romania and Turkey. The auction for designating the company which would elaborate the feasibility study was held on December 10th. Stelian Gal said that no companies participated in the tender, therefore the procedure will be held again at a later date.

"Transelectrica" inaugurated on Friday, the new 450 kv interconnection line Arad- Nădab- Bekescsaba. The investment"s total worth is 25,7 million Euros. The new interconnection line is the first to be built in the last 20 years in Romania and spans 56 km on Romania"s territory and 38 km on Hungary"s territory. Funding was provided through a EBRD loan, Phare funds and Transelectrica"s own funds. The project"s entrepreneurs are "Siemens" Austria, "Electromontaj" Bucharest and the "Electromontaj" /"Romelectro" consortium.

By 2012, "Transelectrica" scheduled investments amounting to 600 million Euros. Stelian Gal claims, that, because of the new electricity production facilities announced for the next years, the company will have to make additional investments. The additional amounts needed which exceed the already established budget will depend on the new government"s policy for this sector. Mr. Gal explained: "The authorities must decide whether we will allocate additional funds for works the transmission grid or whether private investors, in particular those building wind farms, will have to participate with their own funds. Until 2020, "Transelectrica" has set an investment budget with a total of three billion euros in total".

Another ambitious Transelectrica project is the creation of the regional energy exchange to be headquartered in Bucharest. According to the company"s general manager, "Transelectrica", through OPCOM, has started the program for connecting the energy markets in Romania, Hungary and Austria. The project is currently at the stage where the memorandums of understanding and position documents are being signed by the three countries. OPCOM already provides energy trading services for the Hungary energy market. The regional energy market has the advantage of implementing the security of the energy supply in the three participating countries, obtaining competitive pricing and the creation of additional export opportunities for Romanian producers