The first municipal thermal power station in Transylvania is under construction

The electricity and heat power station being built in Csigérszőllős, which utilises biomass and biogas, is 60–70 per cent complete. According to the report by Krónika report states that the village in the Arad-hegyalja region is the first in Romania to build its own combined heat and power plant. The investment, worth approximately 8.6 million euros, is scheduled to be operational as early as next year and could play a role in supplying thermal energy to the entire micro-region.

„Csigérszőllős is the only Romanian commune that had the courage to embark on such a project. The majority of the 8.6 million euros comes from European Union funds. This is an extremely timely investment, offering a solution to the region’s energy supply problem. I can’t wait to see the moment when waste is converted into electricity and heat,” the newspaper quoted Sergiu Bîlcea, deputy mayor of Arad County, as saying.

Cristian Branc, the mayor of Csigérszőllős, pointed out that the power station currently under construction is the largest investment the town has ever seen.

The facility will be able to operate continuously, generating 1 megawatt of electricity and 3 megawatts of thermal energy per hour.

They rely on locally sourced ingredients

Plant and household waste generated in the village, as well as manure of animal origin, will be used to heat the power station. This solution will not only ensure sustainable operation, but will also enable the power station to serve the entire micro-region.

According to the mayor, the thermal energy generated may be sufficient to heat the entire area of Csigérszőllős, as well as the neighbouring villages of Borosjenő and Pankota.

The project is currently 60–70 per cent complete: the necessary equipment has already arrived from Italy, and work is now under way on constructing the digesters required for biogas production and the associated ramps. Of the three digesters, the first is almost complete, whilst construction of the other two is set to begin shortly. According to the mayor, this work could be completed by the end of the year, meaning that pressure tests and trials of the power plant can begin next year.

The project can serve both to recover waste and to generate renewable energy, whilst also creating new opportunities for the region’s heat supply.