French, Czech firms to build Romanian power plants


Czech energy firm CEZ and Electrabel, a unit of French-based GDF Suez, won contracts to build two
coal-fired power plants in Romania, the government said Wednesday. Each contract is worth up to 400
million euros (590 million dollars), Economy Minister Varujan Vosganian said.


The 400-megawatt units in eastern Romania will be built at two existing power plants in cooperation
with state-owned utility Termoelectrica SA.


Electrabel was contracted to build a unit at Borzesti and CEZ was tapped for one at Galati, also
the site of Romania's biggest steelworks.


Romania plans to invest up to 3.5 billion euros into new or modernized thermoelectric plants over
the next few years, Vosganian told reporters.


Fossil fuels account for about 54 per cent of electricity generation in Romania, an ex-communist
country that joined the European Union last year.