Hidroelectrica, Transelectrica and DE Oltenia (DEO) organized pumping tests at the Frunzaru Hydroelectric Power Plant, part of the hydropower development of the same name on the Lower Olt River. The objective of the initiative is to evaluate, under normal operating conditions, the technical parameters and commercial aspects associated with pumping operation.
The tests were designed to allow for the most comprehensive analysis possible of the behavior of the facilities in this operating mode, as well as to collect and evaluate the data necessary to substantiate a possible use of the pumping solution. In parallel with the technical evaluation, the commercial implications and the conditions under which this type of operation could be effectively exploited are analyzed.
In this context, the analysis also considers the possibility of applying the results and experience gained at the level of the hydroelectric power plants on the Lower Olt, namely CHE Ipotesti, CHE Drăgănești, CHE Frunzaru and CHE Rusănești.
An important element of the evaluation process is the participation of specialists from the technical, operational and commercial fields. The multidisciplinary approach allows the interpretation of the results from complementary perspectives, the identification of relevant elements for operation in pumped storage mode and the substantiation of conclusions that reflect both the technical and operational requirements, as well as the commercial implications.
Following the technological tests carried out today, it was concluded that the operation of the hydropower units in pumped storage mode can be achieved under normal operating conditions. The result represents an important element for the subsequent evaluation of the potential of this solution and of the way in which it can be integrated into the operation of the existing hydropower infrastructure.
In the next stage, the analysis will focus on the economic conditions of operation in pumped storage mode, including the opportunities for commercial exploitation of this mode of operation and the conditions under which it can bring benefits to the energy system.
Through this initiative, Hidroelectrica continues its efforts to analyze and exploit technological solutions that can contribute to increasing the flexibility of the energy system, to making the use of existing infrastructure more efficient and to strengthening the role of hydropower in ensuring a secure and flexible energy system.
Hidroelectrica, the largest green energy producer in Romania, operates 187 hydropower plants with a total capacity of 6.3 GW and owns a wind farm with an installed capacity of 108 MW, also covering 13.9% of the competitive electricity market in the country.
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