Two large energy companies, French EDF and Japanese Itochu, have shown their interest in the Tarnita-Lapustesti hydropower project, according to Romanian Minister of Energy Sebastian Burduja. He explained that after the award of the feasibility study, there will be a competitive procedure for the selection of private partners for this project.
In October, Burduja said that the Tarnita-Lapustesti pump-storage hydro complex is much more environmentally friendly and more efficient than having the same capacity in battery storage. He said that there are estimates that say that Romania needs 4,000 MW of storage. This could be achieved by building pump-storage HPPs instead of batteries, such as Tarnita-Lapustesti, Bicaz, Macin and Izvorul Muntelui.
Eight such projects have been identified in Romania, but the most advanced is certainly HPP Tarnita-Lapustesti, adding that at least half of the above-mentioned 4 GW storage capacity could be in pump-storage HPPs.
The feasibility study for the HPP Tarnita-Lapustesti project should be completed in six to nine months.
