Bucharest heating network loses 1,860 tonnes of water per hour, power output at risk

ELCEN must add 1,860 tonnes of water per hour to Bucharest's district heating system to compensate for losses in the network operated by Termoenergetica, equivalent to 1.86 million litres hourly. The company said it has not interrupted thermal agent supply at any time.

The additional cold water mixes with the returning thermal agent on the return circuit, lowering temperatures. Water losses also reduce system pressure, so the thermal agent does not always reach consumers under the conditions needed for proper supply.

“The thermal energy embedded in the hot water lost in the Termoenergetica network is equivalent to the production of a 100 Gcal per hour hot water boiler.”

At CET Bucharest Sud, additional water flow constantly exceeds 900 tonnes per hour, or more than 900,000 litres per hour, roughly 15,000 litres per minute. Contractual provisions set a normal additional flow of 400 tonnes per hour and an emergency flow of 600 tonnes per hour for this plant.

The current volume is therefore more than twice the usual contractual level and about 50 percent above the emergency threshold. ELCEN installations must manage an additional water volume that even exceeds the capacity foreseen for exceptional situations.

The thermal energy contained in the lost hot water equals the output of a 100 Gcal per hour hot water boiler. The situation may affect not only hot water and heating supply to Bucharest residents but also electricity production.