The Romanian state electricity company Hidroelectrica plans to install a battery system next to the Đerdap 2 hydroelectric plant within two years, which will be able to store up to 256 megawatt-hours of electricity. Serbia and Romania jointly built both hydroelectric power plants in the Đerdap system, and each owns half of the capacity, while Serbia is planning the Đerdap 3 reversible hydroelectric plant upstream.
Hidroelectrica, the largest electricity producer in Romania, mainly operates hydroelectric plants but is increasingly turning to other green technologies. The company will build its first floating solar power plant and install photovoltaic panels on the facilities of 20 hydroelectric plants.
In addition to installing a battery at its only wind farm, Hidroelectrica is conducting a tender for a large energy storage facility on the left bank of the Danube at the Portțile de Fier 2 hydroelectric plant. Bids are being accepted until August 28. The project is estimated to cost 61.2 million euros without VAT and includes design, manufacture, installation, testing, and commissioning of a battery energy storage system. The selected company will also integrate the new plant with the hydroelectric facility.
The requested operating power is 64 megawatts with a duration of four hours, meaning the battery system will be able to store at least 256 megawatt-hours of electricity. Hidroelectrica plans to use it to provide balancing services to the national power system and adjust the operation of the hydroelectric plant. The battery will allow energy produced by the plant to be stored while water levels are high and delivered to the grid when prices are more favorable.
The investment is partly funded by a grant from the European Union. The contractor will also be responsible for connecting the battery to the high-voltage network and installing a 0.4/20 kilovolt transformer station. The company expects to award the contract before the end of autumn, with a completion deadline of 23 months. The project is financed through the EU Modernization Fund and Hidroelectrica’s own resources.
Portțile de Fier 2 is the Romanian name for Đerdap 2, which was commissioned in 1985. The hydroelectric complex was built jointly by Serbia and Romania on the Danube. Elektroprivreda Srbije and Hidroelectrica share the capacities of both systems, with each holding ten generators in Đerdap 2. Đerdap 2 is the second-largest hydroelectric plant in both countries, while Đerdap 1 is the largest.
The Serbian part of Đerdap 2 has a nominal power of 270 megawatts, and EPS plans to modernize and strengthen it. The battery will be located next to the dam on the Romanian side in Gogošu commune, Mehedinci county, where the Romanian part has a capacity of 252 megawatts. Hidroelectrica is preparing to return the 31-megawatt unit 1 to the network after more than a decade of waiting for reconstruction.
Hidroelectrica is also exploring projects to take over a 250-megawatt wind power plant and four solar power plants with a combined capacity of 270 megawatts. Meanwhile, Serbia is developing a different energy storage solution on the right side of the Danube and preparing the reversible hydroelectric plant Đerdap 3 near Donji Milanovac.
Romania previously expressed concern about the impact of Đerdap 3 on production at Đerdap 1 and 2, since the new plant will be upstream. The Romanian government has signaled interest in participating in the investment. Serbia’s Minister of Mining and Energy, Dubravka Đedović Handanović, said that she and the Romanian Minister of Energy agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding for Đerdap 3 as soon as possible.
The project is expected to improve the stability of power systems, support the integration of renewable energy sources into the regional network, and provide seasonal electricity storage solutions for the benefit of both countries.
