Romania, Bulgaria Should Consider Building Danube-based Hydroelectric Plant - Romanian PM

“A hydroelectric plant project, located on the Danube [developed] in co-operation with Bulgaria has to be attentively analysed. A hydropower plant project, even if today's costs are high, would be completely justified in the not very distant future”, Tariceanu told a news conference in Brussels at the end of a two-day EU summit.

He did not elaborate whether such a project has already been discussed with Bulgaria, where such plant could be built, or how much it would cost.

Bulgaria's government in September said it has appointed a working group to revive joint hydropower projects with Romania on the Danube like Nikopol-Turnu Magurele and Silistra-Calarasi. The working group will analyse existing feasibility studies, some dating back to the middle of the 20th century.

The Nikopol-Turnu Magurele project, named after the respective towns on the Bulgarian and the Romanian banks of the river, envisages the construction of a 440-megawatt (МW) facility at either location. The Silistra-Calarasi project calls for a 265 МW hydropower plant in Silistra, on the Bulgarian bank of the river, the Bulgarian government has said.

Outdated coal-fired power plants are facing tough environmental thresholds in the two neighbouring states, which joined the European Union last year, and the case is likely to be the same all other countries in eastern Europe that apply for membership of the bloc.