On 15 October 2026, Gas Turbine 1 (GT1) at the Mintia Combined-Cycle Power Plant (CCPP) was successfully synchronised with Romania’s National Power System (NPS) for the first time. This key milestone marked the start of the testing phase for the plant’s equipment and electricity generation systems under grid-connected operating conditions.
On its first day of trial operation, the turbine was connected to the national grid during two separate intervals, the first starting at 11:15 a.m. and the second at 12:21 p.m. During the second operating interval, the turbine reached a maximum gross output of 135 MW at the generator terminals. Testing on the first day was completed at 4:35 p.m.
In the coming period, technical adjustments and fine-tuning of the turbine’s systems and subsystems will be carried out to optimise operating parameters. The next generation session is scheduled for Monday, 19 October 2026, followed by approximately three weeks of daily testing.
Romania’s National Power Grid Company, Transelectrica SA, and MASS Global have agreed to coordinate the testing schedule with the operational needs of the National Power System. Testing over the next three weeks will take place during evening hours, ensuring that planned electricity generation is fed into the grid during the evening peak in demand.
This approach will enable the Mintia Combined-Cycle Power Plant to contribute electricity during periods of high demand, against the backdrop of challenging operating conditions for Romania’s National Power System in recent months, including the unavailability of generating capacity at the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant.
Gas Turbine 1 at the Mintia CCPP has an installed capacity of 575 MW. According to the current estimated schedule, testing of Gas Turbine 2, which also has an installed capacity of 575 MW, is expected to begin in mid-December 2026.
By the end of 2026, more than 1,000 MW of generating capacity from the Mintia Combined-Cycle Power Plant is expected to be integrated into Romania’s National Power System. This will represent a significant contribution to strengthening available generation capacity and supporting the safe and reliable operation of the national electricity system.