Romanian 155 MW PV plant nears grid connection

Israeli power producer Econergy and Israeli renewable energy company NoFar Energy last week inaugurated their jointly developed 155 MW Rătești PV Park in Romania.

An Econergy spokesperson told pv mgazine today that the plant will be connected to the grid “in the next few weeks.”

Econergy’s vice president of operations Andrea Loi told pv magazine that the utility-scale project is expected to generate 219.19 TWh per annum and cost a total €102 million ($109 million) to construct. He said the plant is spread across 170 hectares in Rătești, southern Romania, and uses Canadian Solar monocrystalline bifacial and monofacial panels, mixing 655 W and 660 W output classes.

Loi said the park is currently being tested to identify and repair any potential issues, and a company team is developing a “robust” power purchase agreement (PPA) strategy. Once the commercial operation date lapses, Loi said Econergy will “retain the control” of the plant's operation and maintenance activities, as well as facility asset management.

Asked why Romania is an ideal place to do solar-related business, Loi said the nation is a “fast developing and evolving country” for clean energy. “As the nation transitions to cleaner and more sustainable energy sources, it holds tremendous potential to become a regional leader in Eastern Europe,” he said.

pv magazine reached out to NoFar Energy for comment but did not get a response.

Romanian Photovoltaics Industry Assocation’s executive director Andrei Manea told pv magazine this utility-scale project “kicks off” a new period of investment for the Eastern European country. “By the end of the year we'll have around 800 MW of new solar parks,” he said.

Manea said this PV plant was Romania’s largest and is located in the country’s south – “one of the best parts [of the country] for PV irradiance,” he said.

Romania had 1,414 MW of solar installed at the end of 2022, according to the latest data from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).