Starting today, April 1, 2026, Hidroelectrica has started the filling process of the Vidraru reservoir, in accordance with the emptying and filling schedule approved within the Vidraru Hydropower Development Refurbishment Project.
The resumption of the reservoir marks an important stage of the project, after the completion of the interventions in the water intake area and the bottom emptying. The filling is carried out in a controlled and phased manner, through the progressive capture of tributaries, with permanent monitoring of the behavior of the hydrotechnical constructions and water quality parameters, especially turbidity.
In the first stage, the Topolog capture will be introduced, the only tributary that naturally flows into the Olt River basin. The secondary intakes Limpedea and Valea lui Stan will remain temporarily diverted until an admissible level of turbidity is reached, in order to ensure the dilution of the discharged flows and the continuity of the water supply to the population.
At the same time, the bottom discharge no. 1 of the Vidraru dam will remain open, with an estimated flow rate between 2 and 6 cubic meters/sec, to ensure the water supply of the Curtea de Argeș municipality, until the flood period, when the secondary intakes will be able to take over this function.
The refilling process is estimated to be completed in October 2026, depending on the hydraulic conditions this year and the natural evolution of the tributary flows.
The Vidraru HPP retrofit project, signed in 2024, has a value of approximately 188 million euros (excluding VAT) and an implementation period of approximately 7 years, aiming at the complete modernization of the equipment and increasing operational safety.
The Vidraru Hydropower Plant has an installed capacity of 220 MW and an average annual production of approximately 400 GWh. Lake Vidraru has a total volume of approximately 465 million cubic meters of water, of which approximately 320 million cubic meters is the useful volume, being one of the largest reservoirs in Romania. Hidroelectrica aims to increase operational efficiency, extend the life of equipment and consolidate the strategic role of the Vidraru Hydropower Plant in ensuring Romania’s energy security.