Hidroelectrica brings online 194MW hydro unit at Iron Gates one month after fire damaged it

Romania’s hydropower group Hidroelectrica (BVB: H2O) announced on March 4 that it resumed operations at the 5th unit of the Portile de Fier (Iron Gates) hydropower plant on the Danube damaged by an accidental fire one month earlier, Profit.ro reported.

The company’s shares rose by nearly 2% during the trading day, to RON 129 per share and a market capitalization of RON 58 billion (EUR 1.16 billion).

The Iron Gates hydroelectric plant is the largest in Romania, with six groups of 194MW each. The plant has an average annual production of about 5.2 TWh/year.

On February 1, 2024, at around 8:30 PM, the Iron Gates hydropower plant was affected by a fire at the transformer related to the aforementioned hydro unit. The quick reaction of Hidroelectrica employees, as well as the efficiency of the firefighting teams, allowed the fire to be extinguished in record time, and the fact that there were no victims was an essential element in managing the situation, the company states.

Hidroelectrica is the largest producer of green energy in Romania and provides essential technological services for the National Energy System. The company operates 187 power plants with a hydropower capacity of 6.3GW and, in addition, owns a wind farm in Crucea with an installed power of 108MW.

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