The EU’s largest gas-fired power station, the Mintia Power Station, can supply energy to the national grid

The new gas-fired power station in Mintia, the largest of its kind in the EU, developed on a single site, has entered a new phase before its commissioning. Mass Global Energy Rom has been officially registered as an energy producer in its trial phase and may begin supplying energy to the National Power System as part of the technical trials.   Mass Global Energy Rom, the company controlled by Jordanian businessman Ahmad Ismail Saleh, has signed the provisional documents under which it assumes responsibility for balancing production, according to data analysed by Profit.ro.   At this stage, the company is authorised to generate electricity during the trial period and to feed it into the National Power System (SEN), notifying the planned generation on a daily basis in accordance with the test programme approved by the transmission and system operator, Transelectrica.   Under the legislation, for electricity generated during the trial period, Mass Global Energy Rom will receive from Transelectrica, for each MWh supplied, the lower of the closing price on the Day-Ahead Market (PZU) and 400 lei/MWh, provided the price is positive.   If the electricity price is negative, the producer will pay Transelectrica the value of the electricity supplied to the grid at the negative price for that time slot.   In early June, Acting Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan announced that work on the Mintia power station had reached a completion stage of over 83 per cent.   Bolojan emphasised at the time that the project plays a strategic role in Romania’s energy security, set to contribute to increasing domestic energy production and reducing dependence on imports, particularly during periods of high consumption.   The new Mintia power station will have a total installed capacity of approximately 1,700 MW – 1,677 MW to be precise – making it the largest gas-fired power station built on a single site in the European Union. The connection contract concluded with Transelectrica provides for full commissioning by 30 June 2027.   Until the completion of the re-conducting of the 220 kV Mintia-Timisoara power line, the maximum power that can be discharged into the grid will be limited to 1,448.2 MW.   However, the current plans show that by the end of 2026, a capacity of around 1,100 MW, already completed, would enter into commercial operation. An extension of the deadline for placing in service until 31 December 2027 was approved for a further 190 MW.   The new plant is built on the site of the former coal-fired power plant and involves a private investment of more than 1.2 billion euros.