Italian group Enel invests EUR 329 mln in Romanian operations

Italian utilities group Enel plans to invest EUR 329 million in its Romanian operations in the current regulatory cycle ending in 2018. The company will invest EUR 151 million in 2017 and EUR 178 million in 2018. “Enel is a major investor in the Romanian energy sector, committed to all the areas which are an integral part of the its overall strategic focus: grids, customers, and renewable energy. As we progress with our investment plan in network service quality, we are boosting grid automation and enhancing communication channels with customers as well as developing the offer of value-added services,” said Georgios Stassis, Country Manager of Enel in Romania. Enel’s investments have amounted to over EUR 3 billion since the group entered the Romanian market. Investments in electricity distribution operations totaled EUR 1.58 billion during 2005-2016. For 2017, out of the EUR 151 million allotted for investment in Romania, EUR 139 million will be directed to the distribution networks. The investment will stand even higher in 2018, at EUR 178 million, EUR 168 million of which will be aimed at improving grid performance. According to Enel, its three electricity distribution companies E-Distribuție Muntenia, Banat, and Dobrogea are the top performing electricity distribution operators in Romania in terms of quality of service in the past years. According to the National Regulatory Authority for Energy (ANRE) data, in 2015, the System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI) for E-Distribuţie Muntenia was 221 minutes, the best in the country, while the national average was 308 minutes. E-Distribuţie Dobrogea and E-Distribuție Banat also performed better than the national average, at 234 minutes and 247 minutes, respectively. For 2016, the provisional performance indicators improved further, standing at about 175 minutes for E-Distribuție Muntenia, and the other two distribution companies also performed better, Enel representatives say. The group will also continue to modernize its operations in the electricity supply segment. The company has recently launched its new website and upgraded the MyEnel app that allows customers to access billing as well as other relevant Enel information from their mobile devices. The customer offer was expanded with value-added services like Enel Asistenta and Enel Asistenta+, which offer insurance for the repair of household appliances and home electrical systems. Active on the Romanian market since 2005, Enel is currently the country’s largest private investor in energy, with operations in power distribution and supply as well as renewable energy production. The company has more than 3,100 employees and provides services to 2.8 million customers in three key areas of the country: Muntenia Sud (including Bucharest), Banat, and Dobrogea, accounting for one third of Romania’s electricity distribution market. International court rules Enel has to pay Romania EUR 400 million