Geothermal study in Bucharest, Romania to be supported by US DOE
Meeting of US and Romania officials including US Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm and Romanian Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja (source: Sebastian Burduja via Facebook)
Carlo Cariaga
15 Feb 2024
Romania and the US will undertake a feasibility study for geothermal heating in Bucharest, strengthening ties between the two countries in the field of energy.
An agreement has been signed between local utility company Electrocentrale Bucuresti SA (ELCEN) and the U.S. Department of Energy for a feasibility study on the exploitation of geothermal energy for heating in the city of Bucharest in Romania.
The agreement was signed by ELCEN General Director Claudiu Cretu in the presence of Romanian Minister of Energy Sebastian Burduja. This was only one of several agreements made during an official visit of the Romanian delegation to Washington to meet with American officials, including U.S Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm.
“In the Capital of America, Romania is respected, and energy is on everyone’s lips. Joint projects mean prosperity, jobs and secure and competitive energy,” said Burdija in a social media post.
“An older dream of ours is being fulfilled through these efforts: cleaner air and lower maintenance bills for the people of Bucharest – facts, not words.”
Most geothermal resources in Romania are used for heating, with the small geothermal power generation unit in Oradea as the sole exception. The binary plant in Oradea was commissioned in 2012 and has an installed capacity of 50 kW. In 2021, plans were announced for a photovoltaic park to supply 80% of the power consumption of the Oradea geothermal pilot plant.
Source: Economica.net and Sebastian Burduja via Facebook
