DEVELOPMENT IN RUMANIA'S ELECTRIFICATION PROGRAM AND ELECTRICAL INDUSTRY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000700190300-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2011
• Sequence Number: 300
• Publication Date: July 29, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

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STAT
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 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/14: CIA-RDP80-00809A000700190300-6
DEVELOPMEPFP IN RUMANIA'S ELECTRIFICATION PROGRAM
AND ELECTRICAL INDUSTRY
Datura
Bueharot, j,.,. 15>l; Dr ... ,,. Bair.[-,lass
C. Irl~arc
A. Electrification
At the end of 1950, Rumania had 603 electric power stations with a total in-
stalled power capacity of 7110,000 kilowatts. Only 600,000 kilowatts of that ca-
pacity could be used. This power was utilized by 630 enterprises, with an average
of 1,230 kilowatts pi] per enterprise. Under these conditions the use of elec-
tric power by factories was completely uneconomical.
Hence, an electrification plan was drawn up with the following principal ob
jectives: (1) To supply existing and newly cons rutted factories with all the
needed electrical energy. (2) To use lower grades of fuel, such as lignite, coal
remnants, and neat, leaving the higher grade of fuel for use in the chemical and
transportation industries, or for heating purposes.
irrigating dry regions, establishing navigable waterways, To use water power for
recovering lands. (4) To electrify the railroads and public etransportat one and
systems of cities. (5) To electrify villages in order to raise the technical
level of agriculture and increase labor productivity. (6) To increase the use of
electricity in homes, dispensaries, and cultural centers, and to build movie
houses and radiofication centers in villages. (7) To build new power stations in
regions which had been long neglected in the past.
The electrification program for the period 1550-1,60 aims to create new elec-
tric power stations as well as to expand existing ones.
pected to have a total installed power capacity of 1.7 million5kilo atts;r and by
1 60,Rumania's annual production of electric energy will be five times higher.
han in 195517 This will mean that in 1960, industries and mines will have four
times as much electrical energy at their disposal as in 1950.
In 1950, approximately 92 percent of the power was derived from steam, which
in turn was obtained from expensive fuels, and only 8 percent of the total was
hydroelectric power. In 1960, the amount of power obtained from hydroelectric
stations will be much increased, and steam rower will use lower grades of fuel.
New steam-driven electric plants, some having a capacity of 100,000-150,000 kilo-
watts, will be built to supply a new series of chemical plants with the needed
quantities of electrical energy. .team, and hot water.
In the 3 years following the issuance of the electrification plan, Rumania
achieved important successes in electrification and in the electrical industry. In
his 23 August 1953 speech, Gheorghiu-Dej states that by the end of 1953 the in-
stalled power capacity of steam electric and hydroelectric power stations will grow
by 350,000 kilowatts and will reach a total of 1,C50,000 kilowatts.
amount will grow to 1,330,000 kilowatts, as compared to the 600,000 kilBy 1955,
owatts offs
past years.
The Gheorghe Gheorg':riu-Dej steam electric tower plant in Doicesti, completed.
on 3 August 1952, was working at only 7C percent of capacity by the end of 1953.
This station is supplying the industrial errterprits of he Bucharest, Ploesti,
and Stalin regiunes with increased amounts of electrical energy and is expected to
contribute to the electrification of drilling and extraction operations in the -
troleum industry.
The Ovidiu II steam electric power plant, opened on 17 August 1952, is operat-
ing at full capacity and is supplying needed energy for Dobrujan factories, rn,
irrigation and other agricultural projects, and for the cultural and economic proj-
ects aimed at developing this region.
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The V. I. Lenin hydroelectric Dower plant, now under construction in bicaz,
will produce 430 million kilowatt-hours per year. The Moreni hydroelectric power
plant started operating in 1953 and now supplies much of the needed energy for
Rumania's existing and newly built industries. A new hydroelectric power plant
is expected to start operation in the Hungarir Autonomous Regiune in the near
future. The plant will be located in a regio., which is rich in natural gases.
Achievements in rural electrification have been equally rewarding. Accord-
ing to 1941 statistics, only 6 percent of Rumania's rural population benefited
from electrical energy! As late as the time when the electrification plan was
being set up, only 450 of the country's 13,000 villages were electrified. To ful-
fill the electrification plan, half of the villages will be electrified by present
high voltage lines and the other half by small local electric power stations which
will be built. Complete electrification of villages can only be accomplished si-
multaneously with the socialist transformation of agriculture. Electrification
of difficult agricultural work can be introduced only on state farms, in NTS, and
in agricultural collectives. The working peasant cannot use electrical energy for
his individual production but is limited to using electricity solely in his home.
B. Electrical Equipment Industry
A strong electrical equipment industry must be created if the country's
electrification program is to succeed. In 1945, there were only seven large elec-
trical equipment shops, and these were engaged only in repair work. Factories
constructed since 1945 include Electroputere, Clement Gottwald, Electromotor,
Electroaparataj, Electroizolantul, and many others which produce electrical ma-
chinery, high- and low-voltage equipment, insulation materials, etc.
The volume of electrical equipment production was 11.8 times greater in 1952,
and 13 times greater in 1953, than in 1948. The variety of electrical goods and
equipment rose considerably in the past several years. Since 1951, over 250 new
items have been put in production. Most products manufactured during 1952 and 1953
were made according to Soviet methods and instructions. Industrial equipment pro-
duced for the first time included electrical equipment for the petroleum industry,
1,000-kilowatt itotors for wood grinders in paper mills, nonsparking electric motors
for prevention of gas explosions, transformers for electric welding, small electric
power plants (3-300 kilowatts), small alternating current electric generators for
tractors, instrument transformers for ammeters and voltmeters, electric meters, etc..
Factories specialized in various t;/nes of electrical equipment, as follows:
Electroputere: large electrical equipment such as electric motors, high-
powered transformers, and high-volta;0 equipment.
Electroaparata,j: electric ^i:ctures and low-vo
lta;c automatic switches.
Electromagnetica: instrument transformers.
Electroizolantul: l+ high- and low- o_tage
~
insulators.
Both party and government have been laying great stress on the electrical
equipment industry of the country. Consequently, production of the electrotech-
nical industry in 1949 was 240 percent, in 1950 was 420 percent, and in 1951.~Yas
725 percent of 1948 production. Production in 1952 was about four times that of
1949. The following table shows the annual production of selected items, using 1949
as the index year:
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1942
1950
1951
1952
Electric motors
100
302
750
1,198
Transformers
100
170
3
)0
687
,
Electric
generators
100
953
1,570
9,665
Electric
cable
100
160
133
255
Low-voltage automatic switches
100
227
502
1,353
The following important products are now being manufactured for the first
time: electric traction motors, 2,000-kilowatt electric motors for use in heavy
industry, high-voltage transformers for electrification purposes, alternating
current generators, phase regulators, high-voltage equipment of up to 110 kilo-
watts, compressed air actuated interrupters, lightning rods, explosionproof
transformers, electric locomotives for use in factories, and battery-powered mine
locomotives.
In conformity with the decision to increase consumer goods, announced at
the 19-20 August 1953 meeting of the Central Com^ittee of the PMR (Partii:ul Man-
citoresc Roman, Rumanian Workers Party), a considerable a:.msunt of electrical
household equipment, such as electric fans, electric refrigerators, etc., ha,
been produced. At the end of the Five-Yegr Plan, the total production of elec-
trotechnical goods will be 3.8 times higher than in 1,,50. Production of electric
motors will be 5.2 times greater, electric generators 14.5 times eater, trans-
formers 3.6 times greater, and cables and electric cords 2.2 times greater than
in 1950. As a result of the application of Soviet methods of labor, and the in-
crease in the number of Stakhanovites and leading workers, labor productivity in
this industry reached the level planned for 1955 as early as 1952.
The electrification program of the country requires an increase in the num-
ber of trained cadres. For that reason, the 1-tinistry of Electrical Energy and
Electrical Equipment Industry established eight irtermediate technical schools
and one institute of higher learning. These schools train technicians for 14
different specialties in the fields of electrical energy, electrical equipment
industry, and hydroelectric constructions. The schools have a 4-year curriculum.
Seven semesters are devoted to study and one semester to a practical project.
Admission to these schools is on the basis of an e:.amination, after completion of
7 years of elementary school. Schools in Stalin, Cluj, and Timisoara offer
courses both in Rumanian and in the languages of the national minorities living
in those areas. Both evening and correspondence courses are available to workers.
Much of the progress in Rumania's electrical industry is made possible only
by the constant aid received from the USSR. Construction plans, machinery, and
tools of all types arriving from that country and Jovict met ods of labor adopted
throughout the industry have proved 'in invaluable aid to production and to the
development of the electrical industry.
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