The 400 kV Cernavoda-Stalpu line, historic crossing of the Danube in unique engineering project in the last 35 years

The construction project of the 400 kV Cernavoda-Stalpu Overhead Electric Line has successfully overcome during this period the most difficult and challenging technical stage, namely the crossing of the Danube over 2.6 kilometres, of which 1.13 kilometres are above water.

The process of a unique engineering complexity was completed by the teams of the builder Electromontaj SA, in the presence of the Transelectrica management.

Gabriel Andronache, CEO of Transelectrica: “We are witnessing the completion of a masterful work that marks the technological evolution and development of the electric transmission network, which is why I thank the builders and specialists of the Company who made this possible through effort, dedication and professionalism. This project closely reflects the complexity of the infrastructure managed by Transelectrica, with all that means challenges of any nature, from the technical design stage to energization, whether it is power lines crossing the Danube or crossing the mountains. We understand the urgency of expanding the electric transmission network to ensure national and regional energy security, and that is precisely why we have foreseen investments of approximately 2 billion euros for the next decade. It is an ambitious plan, but necessary for Romania”.

A large part of Transelectrica’s team of technical specialists participated in the achievement of this historic stage, who contributed significantly over time to the implementation of the investment: managers and project managers, site managers, engineers, along with representatives of the specialized departments from within the Company that ensured the development of the investment.

The stage of crossing the Danube River was completed in approximately three weeks, including the preparatory phases. Its complexity and uniqueness involved special efforts on the part of the constructors and expert teams of Transelectrica, being the first such large-scale electrical engineering work carried out in the Romanian Electric Transport Network in the last 35 years. The double-circuit overhead power line is supported on both banks of the Danube by the highest high-voltage poles – 150 meters – of the entire national energy infrastructure.

The only work of this type that crosses the Danube was carried out in 1987, being the 400 kV Cernavoda – Gura Ialomitei LEA.

The 400 kV Cernavoda-Stalpu Overhead Power Line infrastructure objective, a total investment of around 75 million euros, benefits from non-refundable co-financing of 27 million euros through the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). The project is part of the North-South Interconnection East Electricity Corridor and aims to strengthen the cross-section between the west coast of the Black Sea and the rest of the European system, contributing at the same time to the strengthening of the electricity transmission network in Romania, to the increase of the interconnection capacity between Romania and Bulgaria and to the integration of the wind energy produced in the Dobrogea area.