Large “old-new” irrigation project to take off in Romania

Nieuwsbericht15-07-2026 | 14:09

The Siret-Bărăgan irrigation canal, one of Romania’s largest irrigation infrastructure projects, begun nearly 40 years ago and abandoned after only a few kilometres were built, is back in the spotlight. Its implementation could provide irrigation on approximately 700,000 ha of agricultural land in eastern Romania.

Siret-Bărăgan irrigation canal project in Romania

The Siret-Bărăgan irrigation canal: Ceaușescu’s dream

The idea of the Siret-Bărăgan Main Canal emerged within the context of the communist agricultural policy, when authorities sought to sharply increase agricultural production and therefore aimed at expanding irrigated areas by developing very large-scale water conveyance systems.

The investment project, approved in 1986 and begun in 1987, was meant to draw water from the Siret River (east-Romania) and transporting it to the Bărăgan Plain (south-east), one of Romania’s most important agricultural regions, which has traditionally been affected by periods of drought. The plan was for the main water pipeline to cross the counties of Vrancea, Brăila, Buzău, and Ialomița, so that water would reach extensive agricultural areas through a system relying largely on gravity flow.

The large-scale project foresaw a canal of approximately 191 kilometres long, with construction divided into several phases. Of the first phase envisaged in the project - which covered approximately 50 km - only 5.71 km of the canal were actually built. After the political regime change of 1989, when the Romanian state’s investment priorities changed, the Siret-Bărăgan Canal entered a period of stagnation, and construction was halted. And eventually the project was abandoned.

A communist-era plan to become reality in capitalist times

Nearly 40 years after construction began, the Siret-Bărăgan Canal may actually become a reality under capitalism. Approximately 700,000 hectares could benefit from irrigation water if the authorities manage to get the project off the ground.

The Romanian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has launched the procurement process for the construction of the first 23.37 kilometres of the Siret-Bărăgan Main Canal, an investment estimated at 330 million euros, according to information published by the specialised news portal Agrointeligența.

The contract is expected to be signed in the third quarter of 2026, and construction is estimated to take about two years.

Starting point: Vrancea County

The procurement procedure covers the construction of the first section of the Siret-Bărăgan Canal, between kilometre 0 and kilometre 23+372, starting at the Călimănești intake in Vrancea County.

In addition to the canal itself, the project includes several hydrotechnical works necessary for the infrastructure’s operation. The plan calls for three hydrotechnical nodes, 15 river crossings, four national highway crossings, and two bridges within built-up areas.

Currently, the submitted bids are under evaluation.

Hundreds of thousands hectares of irrigated land after the canal completion

The project’s significance lies in the development of irrigation infrastructure in an important agricultural region of Romania. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, once the entire Siret-Bărăgan Main Canal is completed, approximately 700,000 hectares of farmland could receive water for irrigation.

The ministry estimates that nearly 500,000 hectares would be supplied directly through the new main canal, while another approximately 200,000 hectares - which currently use water pumped from the Danube - could benefit from a more efficient system.

The Ministry of Agriculture states that water could reach approximately 80% of the served area without energy consumption for pumping, thanks to gravity-fed flow. For the remaining land, pumps would be needed to raise the water to low elevations.

Key investment in the fight against drought and 4 decades of delay

Authorities consider this investment crucial in combating drought. The Ministry of Agriculture notes that southern, southeastern, and eastern Romania are among the regions most affected by drought, aridification, and desertification.

“To maintain the competitiveness and stability of agricultural production, investments in primary and secondary irrigation infrastructure play an essential role,” the Ministry of Agriculture stated.

Authorities also explained that the project’s delay was due to several factors, including technical issues, political and economic changes following 1990, as well as environmental concerns and the impact on local communities.

The canal could reduce energy consumption for irrigation systems

Another expected benefit of the project is a reduction in the energy required to transport water to farmland.

The Ministry of Agriculture estimates that the new system could yield annual savings of approximately 35 GWh of electricity and could help reduce carbon emissions, as the water would flow primarily by gravity.

Authorities believe the investment could help stabilize agricultural production, reduce compensation payments to farmers during drought years, and increase the competitiveness of agriculture in the region.

The Siret-Bărăgan Main Canal is included in the National Programme for the Rehabilitation and Construction of Major Irrigation Infrastructure and is considered one of the major agricultural infrastructure projects currently being developed in Romania.

More information

For more information, you can reach out to the Netherlands Agricultural Network in Romania via: bkr-lvvn@minbuza.nl