The first gas turbine at Romania\u2019s new Mintia power plant ran on natural gas for the first time on Thursday, October 8, interim prime minister Ilie Bolojan announced. The commissioning process will continue with further tests, grid synchronisation, and the delivery of the first electricity to the national power system.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is an important technical stage for one of Romania\u2019s most significant energy investments in recent years,\u201d Bolojan wrote on Facebook.<\/p>\n
The project was more than 80% complete when the interim prime minister visited the construction site in June. The installations connecting the turbine to the grid were energised on June 15, according to Ilie Bolojan.<\/p>\n
The plant\u2019s two gas turbines will have a combined capacity of approximately 1,100 MW. Once the combined cycle is completed, the facility will reach around 1,700 MW of installed capacity.<\/p>\n
The new plant represents a private investment of more than EUR 1.2 billion and is being built on the site of the former coal-fired Mintia power station.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor Romania, this means more domestically produced energy, fewer imports, and a greater capacity to meet demand during difficult periods, particularly in the evenings and in winter,\u201d prime minister Ilie Bolojan said.<\/p>\n
He added that the Mintia and Iernut gas-fired plants were expected to strengthen the security of Romania\u2019s electricity system from 2027.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is essential that all institutions continue to cooperate so that the tests and subsequent stages are completed without further delays,\u201d Bolojan said.<\/p>\n