Romanian Minister of Energy Sebastian Burduja attended the commissioning of Unit 5 at the Rovinari thermal power plant, marking a significant milestone in the country’s energy sector. This investment, which exceeds €120 million, brings the unit’s total installed capacity to 330 MW.
Minister Burduja emphasized that the completion of Unit 5’s refurbishment demonstrates Romania’s dedication to modernizing its energy system. He noted that this project had been stalled for years, and its realization was once deemed unlikely.
Originally commissioned in 1977, Unit 5 operated for 173,727 hours until 2015, with its last major overhaul taking place between 1995 and 1998, accumulating an additional 100,031 hours of operation. The recent upgrade involved a complete modernization of the automation system, replacing outdated technology with a state-of-the-art solution.
According to the restructuring plan for Energy Complex Oltenia, Units 4 and 5 at TPP Rovinari will not be in regular operation for long. After 2026, these units, along with Unit 5 at TPP Turceni, will remain part of the EC Oltenia system but will be held in a state of capacity reserve, ready to operate if other resources are unavailable. Of the ten coal mining pits in the complex, four will also remain operational in a capacity reserve after 2026.
