The European Union is aiding the modernization and enlargement of key gas storage facilities in Romania and Bulgaria via three initiatives financed by the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) for Energy.
The projects - Bilciureşti Underground Gas Storage, Depomureș gas storage, and Chiren underground gas storage - contribute to enhancing supply security, bolstering system resilience, and fostering regional collaboration in Central and South-Eastern Europe.
The Bilciurești project in Romania aims to modernize and enhance the largest underground gas storage facility in the country, boosting its operational flexibility, technical efficiency, and role in ensuring regional supply security.
The initiative will enhance the facility's daily gas delivery capability from 14 to 20 million m³/day, representing a 43% rise, and will also boost its storage capacity by 108 million m³ per cycle, which is a 9% increase.
Through improvements in storage capacity and injection and withdrawal abilities, the initiative will bolster a more robust gas system and aid in the facility's integration into broader regional energy markets.
CINEA conducted a site visit to the Bilciurești storage facility last week, allowing for a review of on-site progress and discussions about project implementation with the beneficiary. The visit emphasized the significance of the projects in enhancing the reliability and efficiency of the infrastructure, along with their role in supporting wider EU energy security goals.
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In Romania, the Depomureș gas storage initiative seeks to enhance and upgrade the current underground gas storage site, a crucial component for the nation’s gas infrastructure and the broader regional gas market.
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In Phase 1, the project will renovate and enlarge the current facility, boosting its operational capacity by 33%, or 100 million m³ (1 TWh), resulting in a total of 400 million m³, while enhancing daily injection and withdrawal rates by 75%, or 1.5 million m³/day (15.8 GWh), to achieve 3.5 million m³/day.
These enhancements will boost the facility’s capability, adaptability, and operational efficiency, allowing Romania to react more efficiently to seasonal demand fluctuations and possible supply interruptions.
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Upon completion, the project aims to enhance supply security, assist in the integration of the regional gas market, and promote the effective utilization of current gas infrastructure.