Bucharest gets 20 mini mobile power plants to cover ageing heating system

In some areas, the city’s district heating network is over 40 years old and does not bring enough heat to people’s homes

Last week, local authorities in Bucharest announced the purchase of 20 small mobile thermal power plants to plug gaps in the ageing district heating network. According to Mayor Nicusor Dan, the project aims to compensate for energy deficiency in the distribution system, some parts of which are 40 years old.

As AGERPRESS reported, the mobile power plants will be deployed close to the problem points in the heating network, to guarantee citizens have access to sufficient heating this winter. The move is supposed to aid around 16,300 apartments in 340 buildings, accounting for around 40,000 people.

A band-aid solution

The project for small, mobile thermal power plants will cost Bucharest’s local government around 134 million lei (just over 27 million euros) which will be paid over a period of 10 months. Each power plant features a portable container with the equipment to produce thermal energy - hot water boilers, pipes and etc.

According to a statement by Mayor Dan on social media, they are intended to be in service for a period of three years, mostly in winter. After that period, a project for a new full-sized power plant called Titan is scheduled to be completed. Then the mobile power plants will be moved to compensate for the age of the district heating system elsewhere in the city.

Considering the age, Bucharest’s Mayor explained that much of the district heating system including pipes and boilers, as well as thermal points, is over 40 years old. According to a feasibility study by ADI Thermoenergetica Bucharest-llfov, the distribution points between the network and consumers cannot ensure consistent temperatures.

Additionally, Mayor Dan explained that this project would also reduce the pollution from the district heating system, because the extra reactors would have fewer emissions as they are more modern than the city already operates.