Hidroelectrica signed, on Thursday, the contract for the Râul Mare Retezat power plant refurbishment, an investment of almost 190 million euros, through which another almost 135 MW actually available will be recovered and integrated into operation, which will significantly contribute to increasing production capacity and balancing the National Energy System (SEN).
The contract was awarded, following an open tender procedure, to the consortium formed by Cobra Instalaciones y Servicios SAU and Andritz Hydro GmbH.
Andritz Hydro officials told Energynomics that they are currently participating in several similar tenders in Romania.
“Today is an extremely important event in the life of the company. Today we are signing another extremely important contract for Hidroelectrica and for the National Energy System. Today we are launching the refurbishment of the Râul Mare Retezat power plant. The Râul Mare Retezat power plant is one of the emblematic power plants that Hidroelectrica has in its portfolio. It is the second largest power plant on the inland rivers that we have in our portfolio, after Lotru-Ciunget. It is a power plant that should have operated at a power of almost 340 megawatts, with two groups, which, unfortunately, due to design errors made at the end of the 1980s, when the power plant was put into operation – in 1986 -, and here in 2026, a round number, we are signing the refurbishment contract. The power plant operates with restrictions and I believe that with this refurbishment, in addition to adding a new life cycle to this power plant, we will also have the unlocking of those megawatts so necessary for balancing the National Energy System”, said the interim general director of Hidroelectrica, Bogdan Badea, at the signing ceremony, according to Agerpres.
He emphasized that this retrofit contract has the second highest value, after the Vidraru power plant. The value of the contract is approximately 188.45 million euros, excluding VAT, and the estimated implementation duration is 60 months.
“There has been a lot of talk about storage during this period and I believe that the Râul Mare Retezat power plant, the reservoir there will successfully contribute to balancing the system, to increasing storage capacity and it is what Hidroelectrica does best: balance the National Energy System, cover consumption peaks and contribute to the energy transition towards a greener and more sustainable system. It is the highest value we are signing on a retrofit contract today, after the Vidraru power plant”, said Badea.
In turn, the director of the Reengineering Department, Daniela Iordănescu, announced that Hidroelectrica intends to reengineer at least 2,000 MW, for which it has taken “important steps”.
“We have a very ambitious reengineering strategy. As you know, more than 50% of Hidroelectrica’s power plants are high-power, with over 3,000 megawatts. Retezat is one of these plants. It is not the only one. We have a very ambitious plan for other plants as well, all, in fact, the plants that are. In the coming years, at least 2,000 megawatts are in our reengineering plan, meaning they are documented, and we have taken important steps to reengineer. For this, we need the market, we need contractors and we are open, we are transparent and we want as many competitors as possible”, said Iordănescu.
She emphasized that reengineering is not an easy project.
“This project will be completed in 5 years, indeed, but while we are refurbishing one unit with the other, we are producing, so it is not a loss and it is like that with all refurbishings. Through refurbishings, we bring flexibility to the system, safety to the system, because in this refurbishing, Retezat, we are not only changing the equipment, we are bringing in some new competitive machines, efficiencies, we are bringing flexibility, we are bringing safety to the system. In addition to the hydropower units, in addition to the equipment that is in the pressure node, the valves that ensure the safety of the plant, we are also refurbishing, modernizing the power stations. So what are we doing? We are bringing safety and strengthening the National Energy System. It is very important to understand this. A refurbishing project is very large, because we have to fit into the existing dimensions. It is one thing when you start from a greenfield and have the field and everyone does a design and another is when it is a brownfield. It is very important when an analysis is done on refurbishing”, explained the director of the Department of retrofitting.
Daniela Iordănescu added that Râul Mare Retezat is one of the most important power plants in Hidroelectrica’s portfolio, and 335 MW will eventually be brought into the system.
“Retezat is one of the most important power plants in Hidroelectrica’s portfolio. With 335 megawatts, it is important to bring security to the system. We will increase, we will bring through retrofitting, we will have another 135 megawatts secure in the system. If until now we have restrictions, with these 135 that we will recover through retrofitting we will bring improvements to the system. We will change everything on this project. The turbine will be redesigned, the generator will be redesigned, the important parts of the hydraulic circuit will be redesigned, just to be sure that we will obtain a higher efficiency (…) It is the second major contract that has been signed by me and my colleagues from Retrofitting. But we, at Retrofitting, have done a lot. So far, we have modernized 110 stations in all branches and don’t forget: they are small, but they are essential for the National Energy System. The stations are safety, so we are not playing around. We have had modernizations of hydro units and we will have more. We have ongoing contracts, so in 2025 and now, with this contract, 2026, of over 700 million euros”, she claimed.
According to the company, the Râul Mare Retezat HPP refurbishment project represents one of Hidroelectrica’s strategic investments to modernize the hydropower infrastructure and strengthen Romania’s energy security. The plant, commissioned in 1986, has an installed capacity of 335 MW and plays a particularly important role in the National Energy System, ensuring both electricity production and technological system services such as frequency regulation and fast tertiary reserve.
Although the plant has an installed capacity of 335 MW, since its commissioning it has operated, for technical reasons, at approximately 200 MW, the restrictions being generated by the limitations of the existing equipment. The retrofit project will recover and integrate into operation approximately 135 MW more actually available, which will significantly contribute to increasing production capacity, improving system services provided to SEN and strengthening Romania’s energy security.
The need for retrofitting is determined by the physical and moral wear and tear of the equipment (1975 technology), as well as by the technical limitations that arose during operation, which reduced the effective operating capacity to approximately 60% of the nominal power. This situation affects both energy production and the plant’s ability to provide system services at current standards.
The investment aims to prepare the plant for a new operational life cycle, by replacing the main electromechanical equipment and implementing modern technological solutions. The project includes the installation of new vertical Francis turbines, the modernization of generators, excitation and automation systems, complete integration into SCADA systems and the rehabilitation of the related electrical and structural infrastructure. At the same time, modern security, monitoring and fire protection systems will be implemented.
The aim of the refurbishment is to increase energy efficiency, improve the reliability and availability of the facilities, reduce operating costs and maintain the strategic role of the plant in the National Energy System. The new equipment will allow for safe and efficient operation, in accordance with current technological standards and the flexibility requirements of the energy market.