HYDROELECTRIC POWER IN

ROMANIA

May, 2013

Vidraru Dam

Iron Gate I

HYDROELECTRIC POTENTIAL IN ROMANIA

The installed capacity of hydropower is 6,715 MW, representing a third of Romania’s total installed electricity generating capacity. The country’s hydropower potential is extremely large, with an estimated additional potential of over 9 GW. Lack of funding is the greatest barrier to increasing current capacity.

The total theoretical hydroelectric potential of Romania, given optimum technological conditions--has been calculated at some 70 billion kilowatt-hours in an average year.

Geographically, the hydroelectric reserves of Romania are concentrated along the Danube and in the valleys of rivers emerging from the mountain core of the country. Other hydrographic resources include the more than 2,500 lakes, ranging from the glacial lakes of the mountains to those of the plains.

Hydrographic map of Romania

HYDROELECTRIC POTENTIAL IN ROMANIA

767 hydroele

ctric power

plants in Romania

Romania has a total of at least 767 hydroelectric power plants.  A majority, 621, of these plants are small hydroelectric plants, with less than 10 MW of capacity.  

The small hydroelectric plants in Romania have a total capacity of 1,125 MW.   

The large plants have a capacity of approximately 5,550 MW. 

Hydroelectric plants in Romania produce about 6.28 billion kW of electricity each year .

Is estimated the increase of the country hydropower potential usage by building new production capacities, from about 50% in 2005 to about 70% at year 2025

The largest Hydroelectric Power Station in Romania

Iron Gate I Hydroelectric Power Station

Romania co-ownes the Iron Gate I Hydroelectric Power Station on the Danube River located on the border between Romania and Serbia, which is one of the largest hydroelectric power plants in Europe with an installed generation capacity of 2,216 MW by 6 generating units of 175 MW each on the Serbian side and 6 generating units of 194.4 MW on the Romanian side.

Hydroelectric Power Station on Danube

In 1984 the Iron Gate II Dam was opened, along with two hydroelectric power stations and two sluices.

The two countries also jointly operate the Iron Gate II Hydroelectric Power Station with an installed generation capacity of 537 MW by 8 generating units of 27 MW on the Serbian side and 10 generating units of 32 MW on the Romanian side.

The largest hydropower plant on the inner rivers of Romania

The largest hydropower plant on the inner rivers of Romania is the Lotru-Ciunget Hydroelectric Power Station with an installed generation capacity of 510 MW but this power plant will be surpassed by the Tarniţa – Lăpuşteşti Hydroelectric Power Station which at completion in 2014 will have an installed generation capacity of 1,000 MW.

Tarniţa – Lăpuşteşti Power Station

Lotru-Ciunget Power Station

REFERENCES

Miloicovici Ionut

XII D

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_policy_of_Romania

http://www.hidroelectrica.ro/