The system Porțile de Fier I is one of the biggest hydro technical constructions from Europe and the biggest from the Danube, with an installed power of 2235 MW. Its barrier lake with a volume of over 2200 million mc is extended from the barrier until the confluence with the Tisa River.

In the year 1956, by the means of the decision adopted at Bucharest and Brioni there was decided the using of the great common hydro energetic potential of the Danube in the interest of both the countries by executing a great hydroelectric power plant in the sector of Porțile de Fier.

In the period 1956 – 1960, the Institute of Studies and Hydro-energetic Projections (ISPH) Bucharest and the Institute Energoprotekt Belgrade drafted a Technical – economical memoir through which they proposed the arrangement and the using of the hydro-energetic potential of the common sector through two hydro-energetic and navigation systems situated in the profile Gura Văii – Sip km D 943 in the first stage and in the profile from the area Gura Văii – Raduievat in the following stage. The governments of the two countries approved the Memoir in the year 1960.

All the documents regarding the projection, the execution, the mutual obligations and the exploitation comprised in the Agreement and Conventions were signed on the 30^th of November 1963 by the commanders of the two states. It was going to be the most ambition exploitation project of the hydro-energetic profile of the Danube, but also of enhancing the navigation and of control of the floods. It was the first trans-frontier collaboration between Romania and Serbia.

The two parties convened the costs, as well as the results to be equally divided. By the Agreement from the year 1963 there was provided the construction of the objective in such a way that they allowed the exploitation with the level of the downstream pool variable until the quotation of 69, 50 mdMA, and the initial exploitation regime of long duration adopted was the one with the maximum quotation at the Nera whole of 68, 00 mdMA.

Therefore, on the 1^st of January 1964 there was founded the Enterprise of the Hydro-Electric Power plant (I.C.H.) Porțile de Fier, having as activity object the supervision of the investment works for the execution of the Hydro-energetic and Navigation System (S.H.E.N.) Porțile de Fier. On the 27^th of July 1964, the first 20 employees under the command of the engineer Gheorghe Andrei Sălăgean came on Argeș with three trucks loaded with tents and barrack equipage. They were joined by the workers from the barriers Bicaz and Bistrița. This started the building up of the working colonies. The inauguration of the starting of the execution of the Hydro-Energetic and Navigation System Porțile de Fier I took place on the 7^th of September 1964.

For such a colossus there was need of adequate force of work. Therefore in the area there came workers from all the corners of the country, but especially from Moldavia and Ardeal. They were accommodated in the working colony from Gura Văii and in Drobeta Turnu Severin. The people came attracted by the good salaries, and a part of them were detached from other barriers from the country. The biggest part of them remained indefinitely on these territories. They established families here and they worked all their life until the retirement at the hydroelectric power plant.