Turceni power station
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Turceni power station is an operating power station of at least 660-megawatts (MW) in Turceni, Gorj, Romania with multiple units, some of which are not currently operating.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Turceni power station | Turceni, Turceni, Gorj, Romania | 44.669722, 23.407778 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- New Unit 6, Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3, Unit 4, Unit 5, Unit 6, Unit 7: 44.669722, 23.407778
- Unit 5: 44.66972, 23.40778
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | CHP | Start year | Retired year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Unit 6 | cancelled | coal - lignite | 330 | subcritical | – | – | – |
| Unit 1 | retired | coal - lignite | 330 | subcritical | – | 1976 | 2019 |
| Unit 2 | retired | coal - lignite | 330 | subcritical | – | 1979 | 2019 |
| Unit 3 | retired | coal - lignite | 330 | subcritical | – | 1989 | 2021 |
| Unit 4 | operating | coal - lignite | 330 | subcritical | – | 1981 | 2025 (planned) |
| Unit 5 | operating | coal - lignite | 330 | subcritical | – | 1983 | 2029 (planned) |
| Unit 5 | pre-construction[1][2] | gas[3] | 475[4][5] | combined cycle[6] | not found | 2024[6] | – |
| Unit 6 | retired | coal - lignite | 330 | subcritical | – | 1985 | 2006 |
| Unit 7 | mothballed | coal - lignite | 330 | subcritical | – | 1987 | 2025 (planned) |
CHP is an abbreviation for Combined Heat and Power. It is a technology that produces electricity and thermal energy at high efficiencies. Coal units track this information in the Captive Use section when known.
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| New Unit 6 | Complexul Energetic Oltenia SA (CE Oltenia) [100.0%] | – |
| Unit 1 | Complexul Energetic Oltenia SA (CE Oltenia) [100.0%] | – |
| Unit 2 | Complexul Energetic Oltenia SA (CE Oltenia) [100.0%] | – |
| Unit 3 | Complexul Energetic Oltenia SA (CE Oltenia) [100.0%] | – |
| Unit 4 | Complexul Energetic Oltenia SA (CE Oltenia) [100.0%] | – |
| Unit 5 | Complexul Energetic Oltenia SA (CE Oltenia) [100.0%] | – |
| Unit 5 | Complexul Energetic Oltenia[7] | Complexul Energetic Oltenia S.A. [95.0%]; other [5.0%] |
| Unit 6 | Complexul Energetic Oltenia SA (CE Oltenia) [100.0%] | – |
| Unit 7 | Complexul Energetic Oltenia SA (CE Oltenia) [100.0%] | – |
Project-level coal details
- Coal source(s): Jilț Coal Mine, Tehomir underground mine
Financing
- Source of financing: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
Background
The Turceni power station was the largest power plant in Romania, with an installed capacity of 7 x 330 MW units (2,310 MW total). The first unit was introduced in 1978, and the last in 1987. Units 4 and 5 have been refurbished and put back online in 2002 and 2006.[8]
The plant is owned by Complexul Energetic Oltenia (CE Oltenia).[9][10]
As of 2015 the power station has five 330 MW units operating, with one 330 MW unit decommissioned and another (unit 6) offline since 2006.[11] The power station is owned by SC Complexul Energetic Rovinari, owned in part by the Government of Romania. The Rovinari Power Station, along with the Craiova power station and Turceni power station, merged into the 3900 MW Oltenia Energy Complex in 2012.[12]
Turceni's units 1 and 4 were on the opt-out list under the Large Combustion Plants Directive. As of January 1, 2012, unit 1 had 7600 hours left to operate while Unit 4 had 100 hours left to operate by 2015.[11]
In February 2016 the Romanian National Environment Guard shut down Turceni unit 7, as the unit had been exempt from complying to emissions limits under the condition that it only operate 20,000 hours until 31 December 2015 at the latest. The remaining units have been operating under an environment permit issued in March 2014 by the Environment Protection Agency. Since December 2014, Bankwatch Romania has taken plant owner OEC to court requesting the environmental permit for Turceni be cancelled, saying the emission standards were not updated and the environmental impact was not evaluated.[13]
Units 1-2 were retired in December 2019.[14] Unit 3 was retired at the end of 2021.[15]
As of January 2022, in accordance with the Oltenia Energy Complex Restructuring Plan, Unit 4 would be decommissioned in 2025 and Unit 5 would be decommissioned in 2029.[16]
In December 2022, Unit 7's decommissioning was officially slated for October 2023.[17]
In March 2023, the Romanian government announced that Unit 7 would be mothballed in June 2023 as part of its commitments under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The unit would be offline for at least three years and possibly fully decommissioned.[18]
As of June 2023, Unit 7 was mothballed and was to be kept in "reserve" until its final and definitive planned retirement in December 2025.[19]
In October 2023, Romania's Minister of Energy agreed to a request from unions to seek support from the European Commission for a two-year extension of operations at Complexul Energetic Oltenia's Turceni power station and Rovinari power station. The extension would allow the continued operation of the Gorj mine.[20][21]
Unit 6
In 2008, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) approved a EUR 150 million loan for the rehabilitation of units 3 and 6. The process was later cancelled and then relaunched in 2009 to rehabilitate and modernize unit 6 only. The loan amount decreased from EUR 300 million to EUR 150 million. The project was never completed because of unknown procurement issues. The company has been servicing the loan ever since.[11]
After the formation of the Oltenia Energy Complex in 2012, owner Energy Complex Oltenia said it would instead build a 500 MW unit at the Rovinari Power Station with Chinese company Huadian Engineering. Rovinari plans to replace two 200 MW energy blocks at the station that are currently out of use.[22][23][24]
Coal source
The plant uses coal from Jilt Coal Mine and Tehomir underground mine.[25]
Coal ash spill
In December 2013, a coal ash deposit belonging to the Oltenia Energy Complex flooded 15 hectares of agricultural lands and 10 households in the Submaidane area of the Turceni and Ionesti settlements. The ash deposit is located a few kilometres from the Turceni power plant.[26]
Gas Conversion
In the "2021-2030 Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan" the Energy Ministry states a 400 MW gas unit will replace a 300 MW existing unit.[27] The coal unit, unit 3, was to be decommissioned in 2025.[28]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20220523202321/https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/short_news/romanian-energy-producer-moves-from-coal-to-natural-gas/. Archived from the original on 23 May 2022.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20170425211934/http://ceoltenia.ro/en/despre/investitii-dezvoltare/proiecte-si-tehnologii/. Archived from the original on 25 April 2017.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20240219000353/https://bankwatch.org/beyond-fossil-fuels/the-energy-sector-in-romania. Archived from the original on 19 February 2024.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://www.economica.net/noile-centrale-pe-gaze-de-la-isalnita-si-turceni-ce-oltenia-face-licitatie-pentru-selectarea-consultantilor_597908.html.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20230115164358/https://www.ceoltenia.ro/documente/Transparenta/Plan%20restructurare%20CEO.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 January 2023.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 6.0 6.1 (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20221011133125/http://ec.europa.eu/energy/sites/ener/files/documents/ro_final_necp_main_en.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 October 2022.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20221010135402/https://www.ceoltenia.ro/en/despre/domenii-de-activitate/producerea-de-energie/. Archived from the original on 10 October 2022.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ "A Complex Strategic Choice – Coal Power," Doing Business, July 2010.
- ↑ Energy Production, Complexul Energetic Oltenia, accessed Apr 8, 2021
- ↑ Shareholding, Complexul Energetic Oltenia, accessed Apr 8, 2021
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 "Turceni coal power plant rehabilitation," Bankwatch report, July 2014
- ↑ "The study for the power plant in Rovinari to be ready this autumn," Romania Scout, May 22, 2013.
- ↑ "Turceni coal unit in Romania shut down after operating illegally," Bankwatch, Feb 4, 2016
- ↑ [www.transelectrica.ro/documents/10179/45096/7productie12a.xls/6adbfeed-6dac-4780-85bc-fccfd3570f03 Fossil Fuels-Coal,] Transelectrica, January 1, 2010
- ↑ MIHAI WEBER (PSD): "Solicit ministrului Energiei regândirea planului de renunţare la cărbune", Bursa, June 3, 2022
- ↑ "Planul de Restructurare Revizuit al Complexului Energetic Oltenia 2021-2026 Cu Perspectiva 2030," Complexului Energetic Oltenia, January 26, 2022
- ↑ "Romania delays closure of 660MW coal-fired plants to Oct '23," SeeNews, December 29, 2022
- ↑ "Government decides to sideline 660 MW of lignite-based electricity generation capacity for 3 years," Agerpres, March 15, 2023
- ↑ "Complexul Energetic Oltenia oprește două grupuri pe cărbune, din această noapte, unul definitiv, iar altul intră în conservare / Proiecte fotovoltaice și un grup pe gaze în loc," Economedia, May 31, 2023
- ↑ "Romania seeks coal plant closure delay from EU," Balkan Green Energy News, October 13, 2023
- ↑ "Ministrul Sebastian Burduja: România va cere aprobarea CE pentru păstrarea în funcțiune a unor grupuri pe lignit la Turceni și Rovinari. Vom avea argumente în baza unui studiu de adecvanță a SEN, la care lucrează Transelectrica," INVESTenergy, October 16, 2023
- ↑ "Romania's Rovinari Picks Chinese Co to Build 1.0 Bln Euro Power Plant," Power Market, May 10, 2012.
- ↑ "The Article 10C Application of Romania," Bankwatch, Feb. 21, 2012.
- ↑ "Works on the Rovinari power plant to start in 2014," nineoclock, Sep 5, 2013.
- ↑ "Date generale" (in română). www.eturceni.ro. Retrieved 2009-12-17.
- ↑ "The future is ash-grey for people in Turceni, Romania," Bankwatch, Sep. 9, 2014.
- ↑ The 2021-2030 Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan, Romanian Energy Ministry, Apr 2020
- ↑ The energy sector in Romania, Bankwatch, accessed Apr 8, 2021
Additional data
To access additional data, including interactive maps of the power stations, downloadable datases, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker and the Global Oil and Gas Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
