Swiss funding helps modernize public heating & lightning system in Romania’s Arad

Swiss money will help modernize the public heating system and public lightning in Arad city in Western Romania. Photovoltaic panels will be used to extend the public lightning system in the city, while the heating system will be modernized. The Swiss Government will provide a CHF 10.3 million financing – some EUR 8.5 million -, which will add to a small local contribution that will cover some 15% of the project’s needs, the Arad City Hall has announced. Arad needs extensive investments in the 40-year old public heating system, which records 30% loses on average. On some areas, the heating system loss reaches 50%, as some parts of the system include aerial pipes. Which is why most of the money will be directed to fixing and modernizing the heating system. For the second component, Swiss money will help install photovoltaic panels in 70 playgrounds in the city and on the banks of the Mures river. Work will start next spring, and should be done in two years. Arad is not the only Romanian city which benefits from Swiss funding. Suceava, Brasov and Cluj – Napoca are part of the financing program totaling some EUR 41 million. Northern Romanian city tests electric bus before turning public transport green via Swiss funding editor@romania-insider.com