Ilie Bolojan announces the startup of the first gas turbine at Mintia. Testing, synchronization with the grid, and delivery of the first megawatts will follow.

The first gas turbine of the new power plant in Mintia was started on Thursday, October 8, for the first time using natural gas, Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan announced. The plant is being built on the site of the former coal-fired power plant in Hunedoara County, through a private investment of more than 1.2 billion euros.

Starting the turbine represents an important technical stage of the project. The tests will then be completed, the facility will be synchronized with the grid, and the first megawatts will be delivered to the National Energy System.

Once the combined-cycle phase is completed, the new plant will have an installed capacity of approximately 1,700 megawatts. The two gas turbines will provide approximately 1,100 megawatts combined, while the remaining capacity will be added through the combined-cycle operation phase.

The prime minister stated that, in June, when he visited the construction site, the works were more than 80% complete. On June 15, the installations connecting the turbine to the grid were energized, and on Thursday it operated on natural gas for the first time.

According to Bolojan, the Mintia plant will help reduce energy imports and increase security of supply, especially during periods of high consumption, in the evening and winter.