Romania to host integrated ingot, cell, PV module production

Hungary-based Astrasun Solar Kft. has announced plans to set up integrated wafer, cell and solar module production facilities in Romania.

The new factories will serve the company’s own solar power projects under development in the country. Thus far, it has a combined capacity of 1.2 GW in Romani, with more projects expected to come online in 2024.

“Using the financial sources of the European The Recovery and Resiliance Facility (RFF), Astrasun plans to build and operate an ingot wafer, a solar cell and a photovoltaic module factory in Romania in cooperation with European Solar Manufacturer Council in South Romania,” the company said.

The new production will be located in the region of Turnu Măgurele and will include a 1.8 wafer manufacturing facility, a 1.5 GW solar cell production unit, and a 1.2 GW module factory. Astrasun said it will invest €102 million ($107.9 million) in the wafer factory, €110 million in the cell facility, and €55 million in the panel factory. Overall, more than 800 people will be employed across the three facilities.

According to Mihai Balan, executive director of the Romanian Photovoltaic Industry Association (RPIA), the eastern European country may soon host several renewables-related factories.

“The RPIA and RWEA [the Romanian Wind Energy Association] have set-up the RESinvest initiative, aimed at developing a robust domestic renewable energy supply chain, for which Romania already has funding available through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan [NRRP] and the Modernisation Fund,” Balan told pv magazine in March.

The Romanian NRRP – drafted to secure a slice of the €750 billion made available by the European Union to help member states recover from the pandemic – foresees the development of solar cell and panel value chains. Total annual production capacities are expected to reach at least 200 MW by 2025.

US-based Enphase recently announced that it will begin producing micro-inverters in Timisoara, Romania, from the first quarter of 2023.