Key principle: Every technical claim on this page references a public record, regulatory document, or named data room item. Installed capacity ≠ connectable capacity — see T1 for the definitive explanation.
T1 — What does '650 MVA installed' mean and does it guarantee connectable capacity?
No — installed capacity ≠ guaranteed connectable capacity. The 650 MVA figure describes the total transformer equipment physically installed, tested, and energised at the Reșița 400/220/110 kV substation (400/220 kV unit: 400 MVA; 400/110 kV unit: 250 MVA, upgraded 2024–2025). This is Transelectrica's investment in the node — complete and operational. Connectable capacity for a new consumer depends on: existing consumer loads already connected to the node; N-1 security contingency margin (the grid must remain stable if one circuit fails); three-phase fault current limits; and voltage regulation requirements. Only the formal ATR study determines available connectable capacity for a specific consumer at a specific voltage level.
T2 — What is an ATR study and what does ANRE Order 59/2013 govern?
The ATR (Aviz Tehnic de Racordare) is the Technical Grid Connection Study required for any new large consumer connecting to the Romanian high-voltage grid. ANRE Order 59/2013 (Regulamentul privind racordarea utilizatorilor la rețelele electrice de interes public) is the primary Romanian regulation governing the connection process. It defines: who can file an ATR application (the consumer or their authorised representative); what documents are required; the timeline (standard: 6–12 months for HV consumers); what Transelectrica must study (grid capacity, protection settings, voltage quality, N-1 security); and the binding nature of the ATR result. The ATR is filed with Transelectrica for transmission-level (400 kV) connection and with E-Distribuție Banat for distribution-level elements.
T3 — What are the three 400 kV corridors at the Reșița node?
Corridor 1: Porțile de Fier → Reșița — 117 km overhead line, operational since April 2024 (inaugurated as the most complex OHL built in Romania in 30 years per Transelectrica). Connects to Romania's primary hydroelectric generation zone. Corridor 2: Reșița → Pančevo, Serbia — 131 km, both circuits (double-circuit line) operational since January 2025. Romania now has 11 × 400 kV interconnections with neighbouring countries. This corridor is a designated EU PCI (Project of Common Interest) under ENTSO-E TYNDP 2024. Corridor 3: Reșița → Timișoara — under construction by Electromontaj SA (contract RON 309.5M); expected completion 2027–2028. This third corridor, when complete, adds full N-1-N-1 redundancy to the node.
T4 — What are the four EU PCI designations at the Reșița node?
The Reșița node carries four EU PCI (Projects of Common Interest) designations under ENTSO-E TYNDP 2024, Project 144. EU PCI status under EU Regulation 2022/869 (revised TEN-E Regulation) provides: priority status in permitting (Member States must process permits faster); potential access to EU financial instruments (CEF — Connecting Europe Facility); streamlined cross-border regulatory coordination. The four projects in the Reșița corridor include: LEA 400 kV Reșița–Pančevo (double circuit, EU PCI, operational Jan 2025); LEA 400 kV Porțile de Fier–Anina–Reșița (operational Apr 2024); and two additional corridor upgrades. Full project documentation is in the NDA data room.
T5 — What power density can the site support and what rack configurations are feasible?
Power density is determined by the ATR outcome and building design, not by the site itself. Based on the indicative 50–200 MW range: at 50 MW with a 12 kW average rack density, the site supports approximately 4,200 racks (typical hyperscale AI configuration). At 100 MW with 20 kW/rack (GPU cluster density), the site supports approximately 5,000 racks. At 200 MW with 30 kW/rack (high-density AI training cluster), the site supports approximately 6,700 racks. Liquid cooling infrastructure (rear-door heat exchangers, direct liquid cooling, immersion cooling) is feasible given the water supply from the Bârzava river. The ~3 ha footprint supports a multi-building campus design.
T6 — What is the seismic profile of the Reșița area?
Romania uses the P100-1/2013 seismic zonation standard. Caraș-Severin county, where Reșița is located, falls in a lower-seismicity zone compared to the Vrancea seismic region (which affects eastern Romania and Bucharest). The Banat Montan region has its own low-intensity seismic activity historically, but at levels significantly below the Vrancea zone. Detailed site-specific seismic assessment (including microzonation) is part of the preliminary geotechnical study commissioned in Tranche 1 of the capital structure. Full seismic data for the specific KML footprint is available in the NDA data room.
T7 — What is the minimum achievable PUE at this location?
PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) at the Reșița site benefits from: (a) Free cooling availability — the ambient temperature of 2–3°C below Western European hub cities extends economiser hours significantly; (b) Water-cooled infrastructure — the Bârzava river enables evaporative cooling at scale, reducing mechanical cooling energy; (c) Altitude advantage — the Banat Montan elevation provides lower wet-bulb temperatures for evaporative systems. For a well-designed water-cooled AI data center at this location, a design PUE of 1.15–1.25 is achievable, with free cooling covering a significant portion of annual hours. Exact PUE projections depend on the cooling architecture selected by the development partner.
T8 — What medium-voltage distribution infrastructure serves the project zone?
The medium-voltage (MV) distribution network in the Valley Terovei / project zone area is operated by E-Distribuție Banat (the licensed distribution network operator for Caraș-Severin county). Letter Nr. 42500 was sent on 4 May 2026 by ADLR and Reșița City Hall to E-Distribuție Banat, formally requesting MV infrastructure data for the project zone. Response is expected approximately 19 May 2026. MV infrastructure data will be incorporated into the NDA data room on receipt. High-voltage (HV) connection to the 400 kV bus is via the Transelectrica ATR process.
T9 — What is the water use permit process for cooling infrastructure?
Water use permits in Romania are issued by Apele Române (the National Administration 'Romanian Waters') under Legea 107/1996 (Water Law). The permit covers: abstraction volume from the river or groundwater; return flow specification; treatment requirements before discharge; ecological minimum flow compliance. Key constraint: an ecological minimum flow (Q95) — the flow maintained 95% of the time — is set for the Bârzava, and water abstraction cannot reduce the river below this level. The Q95 seasonal assessment is included in the NDA data room. Based on mean annual flow of 3.63 m³/s (13,068 m³/h), the cooling requirement of 30–80 m³/h per 100 MW IT load represents a negligible fraction of available flow.
T10 — What connectivity infrastructure is available or planned?
Reșița is within the fiber infrastructure footprint of the major Romanian carriers (Orange, Vodafone/Digi, Telekom Romania). Specific carrier routes, available dark fiber, and meet-me-room options are documented in the NDA data room. The Serbia interconnection via Pančevo (operational January 2025) creates a direct high-voltage grid link that can be complemented by data interconnection routes to Belgrade. Timișoara (~90 min road) provides the nearest significant internet exchange presence and carrier-neutral colocation. Specific latency profiles to Frankfurt PoP and DE-CIX are available in the technical data room for qualified counterparties.
Request the full technical data room under NDA.
Grid documentation, site KML, cooling calculations, seismic pre-assessment, and ATR process guide — all available to qualified counterparties.
Request Technical Briefing → Grid infrastructure →Related: Grid infrastructure · Site detail · Developer FAQ · Glossary