A Romanian heating company tasked with repairing and replacing Bucharest’s dilapidated heating system which provides hot water and heat for more than half of the city’s residents, has signed contracts worth 79 million lei, or 16.6 million euros, with four companies, G4Media reported.
The company, Termoenergetica, replaced the previous provider Radet last year after a court declared it bankrupt.
Tens of thousands of residents experienced weeks of hot water and heating shortages in November, before Termoenergetica took over as the capital’s public heating distribution company
Almost three-fourths of the pipes that provide heating and hot water to the capital of 2 million are almost 40 years old. It’s estimated that 2,600 tons of hot waters lost every hour during the cold season, G4Media reported.
The company signed contracts with Erbasu, Elsaco, Acvatot and Clay Work Bucharest_ all Romanian companies_ to replace damaged sections of the heating system.
Termoenergetica, which has about 3,000 employees, operates the largest heating system in Romania and has 43% of the market in Bucharest.
It supplies heat and hot water for approximately 562,000 apartments proving heat for about 1.21 million residents.
It has 950 kilometers of pipes and 2,900 kilometers of secondary pipes.
A recent study by consulting company Frames said 80% of the company’s pipes are older than 25 years and should have been replaced 10 years ago.
