The new power plant at Palas Constanta will operate with gas and also with hydrogen in a mixture, announced the Minister of Investments and European Projects, Dragoș Pîslaru. The power plant is financed by the PNRR, and the investment, of 120 million euros, will generate a capacity of 160 MW of thermal power. The power plant is being built on the site of the old Palas power plant, the Elcen unit that produces thermal energy for the municipality, and will operate in high-efficiency cogeneration, meaning it will produce electricity and thermal energy at high yields. The old Palas CHP, except for some installations that connect to SACET and SEN, will be demolished, having been built in the 1970s.

“Today I made a field visit to Constanța, on the construction site of the new thermoelectric power plant that is being built on the site of the old Palas CHP. It is a huge step for the community here. An investment of hundreds of millions of lei, financed largely through the PNRR, is taking shape and will provide energy efficiency and more safety for people, for families who will have heat and hot water on time and at sustainable costs. What impressed me is the long-term vision. The new power plant will operate on natural gas, but is already prepared to use green hydrogen, which means that the city has the chance to make the transition to clean and sustainable energy. This is a concrete investment, in progress, with a completion date of June 2026,” Pîslaru said on his Facebook page.

“Equally important, the rehabilitation of the primary thermal energy transport networks, financed by the Large Infrastructure Operational Program (POIM), is almost complete, with a stage of works of over 98%. Together, these projects ensure not only the production, but also the efficient transport of thermal energy, a direct benefit for the inhabitants of Constanta,” he added.

The CET Palas thermal power plant in Constanta, previously owned by Electrocentrale Constanța S.A., was transferred to the state public patrimony in 2023, following the company’s declaration of insolvency.

Autor: Bogdan Tudorache

Active in the economic and business press for the past 26 years, Bogdan graduated Law and then attended intensive courses in Economics and Business English. He went up to the position of editor-in-chief since 2006 and has provided management and editorial policy for numerous economic publications dedicated especially to the community of foreign investors in Romania. From 2003 to 2013 he was active mainly in the financial-banking sector. He started freelancing for Energynomics in 2013, notable for his advanced knowledge of markets, business communities and a mature editorial style, both in Romanian and English.