Seleuș-Arad is the first commune in Romania to abandon wood heating. A biogas plant will provide heat for all residents, writes Transilvania Business.
Thus, Seleuș becomes the first commune in Romania to completely abandon traditional heating, based on wood or coal. All households will be connected to a modern thermal power plant, powered by biogas and biomass – an innovative project, valued at 8.6 million euros, of which 85% represent non-reimbursable European funds.
The new plant promises to reduce heating costs for residents by four times. In the first stage, 500 households in Seleuș will be connected to the system, with the network later to be extended to the neighboring villages, Moroda and Iermata.
“The plant, with a capacity of 1 MW/h of electricity and 3 MW of thermal energy, will operate using vegetable waste, household waste, animal waste and energy plants. For its operation, 60 tons of material per hour are required, collected from an area of 300-500 hectares,” explained the mayor of the commune, Cristian Branc.
The pipeline network, with a total length of 70 kilometers, has already been completed, and the equipment – purchased from Spain – has arrived in the country. On Thursday, October 23, the president of the Arad County Council, Iustin Cionca, and the vice president Sergiu Bîlcea visited the construction site at the concrete silos where the plant is to be installed. Mayor Branc estimates that the works will be completed by the end of this year.
The project also benefits local agriculture. The thermal energy produced will also be used to heat greenhouses, thus supporting vegetable growing – one of the main sources of income for the residents of Seleuș. Lower production costs will allow maintaining affordable prices for agricultural products in the coming years.
“The investment in Seleuș is unique in our county and offers the commune energy independence, with reduced costs. It demonstrates the efficiency of the local administration led by Mayor Cristian Branc. The Arad County Council also continues to modernize the road infrastructure that connects the commune to the main arteries in the area”, said Sergiu Bîlcea, vice-president of the Arad County Council.
For his part, Iustin Cionca stressed the importance of the project for the future of the county:
“It is an extremely important work, which adds to the large investments in green energy in Arad County. This plant does not only mean reducing costs for residents, but also a concrete step towards a cleaner future. It is an example of responsibility towards future generations.”
The biogas and biomass power plant in Seleuș represents the largest investment in the history of the commune and a model of energy transition at a rural level, which could be replicated throughout the country.