PPC Rețele Electrice Completes €17M Modernization of Historic Filaret Substation, Expanding Capacity to 200 MVA in Bucharest

PPC Group’s distribution arm in Romania has finalized the €17 million complete technological overhaul of the landmark Filaret 110/20/10 kV primary substation...

PPC Rețele Electrice Completes €17M Modernization of Historic Filaret Substation, Expanding Capacity to 200 MVA in Bucharest

PPC Group’s distribution arm in Romania has finalized the €17 million complete technological overhaul of the landmark Filaret 110/20/10 kV primary substation in central Bucharest, increasing capacity from 160 MVA to 200 MVA with ultra-low loss eco-design transformers.

High-Efficiency Eco-Design Power Transformers and Compact GIS

The upgrade replaced legacy oil-filled units with two 40 MVA and two 60 MVA high-efficiency power transformers compliant with EU Ecodesign Tier 2 standards, reducing no-load losses by 22% and noise emissions to under 55 dB(A).

The primary switchyard transitioned from aging open-air bays to compact SF6-reduced gas-insulated switchgear (GIS), shrinking the physical substation footprint by 60% while dramatically lowering arc-flash risk.

Powering Urban Heat Pumps and High-Power EV Hubs

The additional 40 MVA of firm transformation capacity directly supports Bucharest’s municipal transition from gas heating to district heat pumps and accommodates new ultra-fast 350 kW EV charging plazas along southern transit corridors.

Advanced digital substation automation with IEC 61850 process bus communication enables self-healing network restoration within 45 seconds of a medium-voltage feeder outage.