New Romania-Bulgaria project: Government approves development of Turnu Magurele-Nicopole hydropower plant

The government approved in a meeting on Thursday the setting up of a Romania-Bulgaria joint project company for the development of a hydropower plant on the Danube at Turnu Magurele-Nicopole, according to a memorandum obtained by Mediafax.

According to a preliminary evaluation, the station will produce 400 MW, which the Romanian Government says will increase the country’s energetic security and decrease dependency from imports.

Moreover, reads the memorandum quoted by Mediafax, the station could also become a new terrestrial and railway connection between Romania and Bulgaria. At the same time, another benefit of such a project would be regulating the Danube flow by building dams and conducting drain works, which will result in an increased protection of the local population against floods.Apart from energy benefits, the Government in Bucharest also hopes to economically revive the town of Turnu Magurele by creating new jobs and modernizing the infrastructure.

According to the quoted document, the Romanian-Bulgarian project company will also have to deal with finding financial resources for the feasibility study, which will evaluate all aspects concerning the energy production capacity, road and fluvial transport, the environment protection, the impact on agriculture and the benefits for regional development.

The company will see to it that the hydro-power station is included in the list of European Projects of Common Interest within the Danube Strategy and will take steps in this respect at EU institutions. It will also have to draft a strategy to attract investors to finance the project.

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