Transgaz: Sterian Inspects RON 682M Prunișor–Jupa Pipeline — NRG-IA

Ion Sterian has returned to the construction site of the Prunișor–Orșova–Băile Herculane–Jupa pipeline, a project through which Transgaz aims to close one of the missing links in the national gas transmission network. On July 16, the Director General inspected the ongoing field works, the construction sites at Topleț and Mehadia, the pipe storage yard, and the welds completed on several sections of the main pipeline. The visit once again highlights a project that Sterian has publicly championed since 2020. Back then, at the launch of the investment, the head of Transgaz explained its strategic essence: the pipeline "will close a ring and provide a dual supply source." Six years later, this vision is taking shape on the ground as a pipeline traversing mountains, valleys, roads, railways, and watercourses between Mehedinți and Caraș-Severin counties. The pipeline will span 177.5 kilometers with a diameter of 60 centimeters, crossing 25 administrative-territorial units: 12 in Mehedinți and 13 in Caraș-Severin. The currently reported value of the project is RON 682 million, equivalent to approximately EUR 130 million. Construction completion and commissioning are estimated for the end of 2027. From a gas-deprived area to a national main pipeline The northern part of Mehedinți County and the central and southern areas of Caraș-Severin County have largely remained outside the major natural gas infrastructure. Towns and communes located between Drobeta-Turnu Severin, Orșova, Băile Herculane, and Caransebeș still rely on firewood, electricity, LPG, or other individual solutions for heating and economic activities. The new pipeline will cross this region from Prunișor, near the infrastructure serving Drobeta-Turnu Severin, to Jupa and Obreja, near Caransebeș. The project has been declared of national importance precisely because it connects two parts of the system that lacked a direct main link, and because it can supply localities previously left off the gas grids. Transgaz estimates that the infrastructure will be able to serve 74,491 household consumers and 232 public institutions. In Mehedinți, 21,832 household consumers and 85 institutions have been identified, while Caraș-Severin accounts for 52,659 households and 147 public institutions. Schools, medical facilities, community centers, and places of worship are among the potential beneficiaries. However, this figure does not represent the number of connections that will automatically appear on the day of commissioning. Transgaz is building the transmission pipeline—the main infrastructure that brings gas to the region. For gas to reach individual homes, local distribution networks, regulating and metering stations, connections, and hookups must be developed by local authorities and distribution operators. The investment thus establishes the essential prerequisite for supply, but the actual development of distribution will depend on local projects. The main pipeline brings gas close enough for localities to build their own networks; it does not replace these networks. Ion Sterian aims to close the ring, not just connect Orșova For the public, the primary outcome will be the opportunity to connect local communities and institutions. For Transgaz, the project carries an additional strategic stake: connecting the Caransebeș–Jupa area with the Drobeta-Turnu Severin area. At the Caraș-Severin end, the pipeline can be supplied from the infrastructure connected to the BRUA corridor. At the other end, it links to the system serving Drobeta-Turnu Severin via the Filiași–Strehaia–Prunișor route. Consequently, gas will be able to flow into the region from two directions. This is the significance of the "ring" Ion Sterian spoke of at the project's launch. If supply from one direction is restricted by a breakdown, maintenance, or operating conditions, the system can utilize the alternative route. An area previously at the dead end of a single pipeline becomes part of an interconnected network. For a transmission system operator, the difference is major. A pipeline serving a single direction merely extends gas access. A main pipeline connecting two distinct areas of the system also enhances security of supply, allows for flow redistribution, and provides greater flexibility to the national dispatcher. The project thus embodies two core components of the strategy pursued by Transgaz's management: expanding the network to underserved areas and strengthening connections between existing major corridors. The construction site traverses some of the most challenging terrain in the Transgaz network The pipeline is not being built along a simple lowland route. It crosses the Iron Gates area, the Timiș–Cerna corridor, and mountainous regions with significant elevation changes, watercourses, road and rail infrastructure, and areas close to protected natural reserves. The route intersects the Cerna, Belareca, and Topolnița rivers, among other watercourses, the European route E70,…