Rețele Electrice Romania, part of the PPC group in Romania, has started construction work on a new 110/20 kV transformer station in Balotești, with the aim of increasing the connection capacity and the security of the electricity supply for customers in the Balotești, Corbeanca and Otopeni areas. The station will be completed in 2027, following an investment of over 75 million lei, provided from the company’s own funds.
Work on the structure of the building that will host the newest 110/20 kV station in Rețele Electrice Romania’s portfolio began in January, the station being designed in a modern, interior construction, designed for safety and high energy efficiency. In parallel, work is underway to integrate the new transformer station into the existing energy network, with the necessary equipment to be installed in the Otopeni station, from where one of the high-voltage connections to the new station will be made, the second high-voltage connection being designed to be made from the Buftea transformer station.
“The construction of a new transformer station in the Balotești area is a project of strategic importance, aiming to increase the resilience and availability of the network, thus resulting in the improvement of the distribution service, in an area with continuously expanding consumption. The positioning of the Balotești station between the three transformer stations already operational in the area (Otopeni, Buftea, Căciulați) will allow for efficient load balancing, reduced energy losses and increased security in the electricity supply. The adopted solution ensures increased flexibility in supply, the possibility of taking over power flows in various operating modes and an efficient integration into the electricity distribution infrastructure, thus contributing to improving the performance and reliability of the system. The new high-voltage connection between the Buftea station and the new Balotești station will increase the flexibility of the high-voltage network by ensuring the transit of energy from the west of Bucharest to its north”, stated Mihai Pește, General Director of Rețele Electrice România.
The station will be equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, which ensures reliable distribution of electricity – encapsulated cells of the GIS type (Gas insulated switchgear), being configured with a double system of bars connected by a transverse coupler (2 line cells, 2 transformer cells, 2 measuring cells and a coupling cell).
It will initially operate with two transformers with a capacity of 25 MVA each, and the project allows for the expansion of the capacity up to 2 x 63 MVA, depending on the evolution of energy consumption in the area. Thus, the new station will be able to ensure the connection of new consumers following the development of the infrastructure in the area. The connection of the new station will be made from the Otopeni power station, through a modern technical solution, using a high-voltage cable with a length of approximately 13 kilometers. This connection will ensure the safe and stable supply of the future Balotești station. The investment value for the new Balotești transformer station exceeds 75 million lei, a budget that will be provided from Rețele Electrice România’s own funds.
Also in this area, Rețele Electrice România is carrying out works to modernize the medium-voltage power lines in the Balotești area, as part of a project co-financed by the Modernization Fund, managed by the Ministry of Energy.
The project aims to modernize and increase the transmission capacity of several 20kV and 0.4kV overhead lines in the Balotești area, Ilfov County, for the benefit of 15,000 customers. The lines will be moved from overhead to underground, thus making the network more resilient. In addition, the transformer stations will be modernized, using concrete-enclosed stations, which ensure a high degree of protection and resilience. The modernization works of the medium voltage power lines total over 115 million lei, of which 23 million lei will be provided from the distribution operator’s own funds, the rest coming from the Modernization Fund. The integration of the 2 projects aims to increase supply security by modernizing, looping and reducing the lengths of certain existing network segments by developing new medium voltage lines from the future Balotești transformer station.