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ANDRITZ to modernise Râul Mare Retezat plant
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ANDRITZ, as part of a consortium led by COBRA Instalaciones, will supply the electromechanical equipment for the modernisation of the Râul Mare Retezat hydropower plant in Romania. ANDRITZ said the contract value sits in the high double-digit millions of euros and was booked into its order intake for the third quarter of 2026. The upgrade will raise the plant’s installed capacity from 335 MW to 376 MW — about a 12% increase — and is intended to enable full output where equipment limits have until now meant operation at roughly 200 MW. ANDRITZ expects the work to be completed in 2031.
“This modernisation will turn Râul Mare Retezat into a reliable pillar of renewable electricity supply in western Romania, improve system services for the national power grid, and strengthen Romania’s energy security,”
Iulius-Dan Plaveti, CEO of SPEEH Hidroelectrica
Key takeaways
- ANDRITZ said the electromechanical package is covered by a contract whose value sits in the high double-digit millions of euros.
- The plant’s installed capacity will increase from 335 MW to 376 MW, an uplift of about 12%.
- Râul Mare Retezat has been operating at roughly 200 MW because of limitations in the existing equipment.
- ANDRITZ’s scope includes two 188 MW high head Francis turbines, generators, automation and auxiliary systems, with completion expected by 2031.
Table of contents
What ANDRITZ will supply and the project timetable
ANDRITZ says the contract makes it responsible for the plant’s full electromechanical scope: design, manufacture and supply of turbines, generators, automation and auxiliary systems, plus supervision of on-site installation. The company said the equipment package will include two high-head Francis turbines rated at 188 MW each, and that generators and control systems are among the deliverables. ANDRITZ described the contract value as lying in the high double-digit millions of euros and said it recorded the order in its order intake for the third quarter of 2026. The modernisation consortium is led by COBRA Instalaciones, with ANDRITZ acting as the electromechanical supplier. ANDRITZ added that completion is scheduled for 2031, with installation and testing to be supervised by the company.
How the upgrade changes output and grid services
Râul Mare Retezat’s nameplate capacity is 335 MW but, according to the announcement, the plant has been operating at only about 200 MW because existing equipment constrained performance. The modernisation is intended to increase installed capacity by about 12% to 376 MW and to make that full capacity available to the grid. SPEEH Hidroelectrica’s CEO Iulius-Dan Plaveti framed the work as strengthening Romania’s renewable supply and improving system services for the national power grid, which in turn is presented as enhancing energy security in western Romania. Restoring full machine availability and adding modern automation will also improve the plant’s ability to meet flexibility requirements in the energy market.
Positive and negative cases for the modernisation
The case for
- Restoring full installed capacity to 376 MW will increase dispatchable renewable output and improve the plant’s contribution to peak and ancillary services.
- New turbines, generators and automation should reduce forced outages and improve ramping, aligning the plant with market flexibility needs.
The case against
- Delivery and installation schedules could slip; the announcement gives completion by 2031 but does not detail intermediate milestones.
- Electrical, civil or grid-interface issues beyond the electromechanical scope could limit how quickly the plant reaches the advertised 376 MW of usable output.
What to be careful about
- Schedule risk: the announcement sets a 2031 completion date but provides no intermediate commissioning milestones, creating scope for delays.
- Integration risk: non-electromechanical constraints at the site could continue to limit output even after new turbines and generators are installed.
- Supply-chain or manufacturing delays affecting turbine or generator delivery would directly push back commissioning and availability of the additional capacity.
The bottom line
The contract positions ANDRITZ as the electromechanical supplier in a COBRA-led consortium tasked with restoring and raising output at Râul Mare Retezat from 335 MW to 376 MW. The announced package — two 188 MW Francis turbines plus generators and control systems — and the inclusion of the order in ANDRITZ’s 3Q26 intake signal a near-term commercial commitment, while the 2031 completion target sets the window for engineering, delivery and commissioning. The upgrade promises clearer system services for Romania’s grid, but delivery and integration risks mean observers should track commissioning milestones closely.
What to watch
- Watch for project completion and handover in 2031.
- Watch for the consortium’s commissioning milestones and first on-site tests; no date has been set for those publications.
Frequently asked questions
What equipment is ANDRITZ supplying for the Râul Mare Retezat upgrade?
ANDRITZ will supply the electromechanical equipment package including two 188 MW high head Francis turbines, generators, and the associated automation and auxiliary systems, and will supervise installation on site.
How much will the plant’s capacity increase after the modernisation?
The upgrade raises installed capacity from 335 MW to 376 MW, an increase of about 12%, and aims to make the full capacity available rather than the roughly 200 MW the plant has been delivering.
When will the modernisation be finished?
ANDRITZ said it expects the project to be completed in 2031 and that the supply was recorded in its order intake for the third quarter of 2026; the company did not provide intermediate milestone dates.
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