Lake Vidraru is being deliberately and carefully drained for the first time in nearly 60 years, for maintenance and modernisation works that will ensure its operation for another 40 years. The ‘gold’ we are extracting here is not measured in kilograms, but in safety and energy independence, Energy Minister Bogdan Ivan said.

‘These days, all sorts of stories are circulating on social media: that the French have drained the lake to extract gold, or that there are ‘lost’ villages beneath the water. Nothing could be further from the truth. The reality is simple: everything is legal, approved, and absolutely necessary for the future safety of the dam. The ‘gold’ we are extracting here is not measured in kilograms, but in safety, energy independence, and the pride of keeping alive a monumental piece of engineering built through the effort and skill of Romanians,’ the minister wrote on his Facebook page.

According to him, the refurbishment contract is worth over 188 million euros. The controlled drainage began on 1 August 2025 and will conclude in the spring of next year, with the reservoir’s normal capacity to be fully restored by autumn 2026.

The minister of Energy also clarified that the structures now visible are not ‘mysterious ruins,’ but the old dwellings and technical constructions used during the original construction of the dam decades ago.

Hidroelectrica announced, at the end of June, that it has begun the first stage of the controlled drainage process of the Vidraru reservoir, with an estimated completion date of 28 February 2026, in order to create the technical conditions necessary for the refurbishment works under the project „Refurbishment of the Vidraru Hydropower Development”.

The Vidraru Hydropower Plant, commissioned on 9 December 1966, harnesses the hydroenergetic potential of the Arges River over a 28 km stretch between Cumpana and Oiesti, utilising a total water drop of 324 metres. The reservoir has a total volume of 465 million cubic metres, of which 320 million cubic metres represent the usable volume.

Hidroelectrica is the largest producer of green energy in Romania and provides essential technological services to the National Energy System. The company operates 188 power plants with a total hydroelectric capacity of 6.4 GW and also owns a wind farm in Crucea, with an installed capacity of 108 MW.

AGERPRES