Romania does not come to mind when you think of renewable energy. The Eastern European nation is better known for its medieval castles, rich cultural heritage, and legendary vampire lore. But Romania is also home to one of the world's most ambitious and impressive solar projects: the largest photovoltaic park in Europe.
The park, which is being built by a Romanian company called Green Power Development, covers an area of 1,000 hectares (2,471 acres) in the southern county of Giurgiu, near the border with Bulgaria. It will have a total installed capacity of 1,000 megawatts (MW), which is more than the power output of one of the reactors at the Cernavoda nuclear power plant, Romania's main source of electricity.
The project is divided into four phases, each with a capacity of 250 MW. The first phase, which started construction in 2022, is expected to be completed by the end of 2023. The second phase will begin in 2024 and finish in 2025, while the third and fourth phases will follow in 2026 and 2027, respectively.
The park will use more than 2.5 million solar panels manufactured by Chinese company Trina Solar, one of the world's leading suppliers of photovoltaic products. The panels will be mounted on single-axis trackers that follow the sun's movement throughout the day, maximizing the energy production. The park will also have a battery storage system that will store excess energy during peak hours and release it during periods of low demand or cloudy weather.
The cost of the project is estimated at €800 million ($917 million), which will be financed by a mix of equity and debt from local and international banks. The park will benefit from Romania's green certificate scheme, which grants renewable energy producers certain certificates for each megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity they generate. These certificates can then be sold on the market to electricity suppliers, who are obliged to buy them to meet their renewable energy quotas.
The photovoltaic park will also create jobs and boost the local economy. According to Green Power Development, the project will employ about 1,500 people during construction and about 300 people during operation. The company also plans to invest in social and environmental programs in the area, such as improving the infrastructure, supporting education and health care, and planting trees.
The photovoltaic park will significantly impact Romania's energy mix and climate goals. According to Green Power Development, the park will produce about 1.5 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity annually, enough to power about 400,000 households. The park will also save about 1 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per year, equivalent to taking about 200,000 cars off the road.
Romania aims to increase its share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption to 30.7% by 2030, up from 24% in 2019. The country has a potential of about 10 gigawatts (GW) of solar power, but only about 1.4 GW have been installed so far. The largest photovoltaic park in Europe will help Romania tap into its solar potential and accelerate its transition to a low-carbon economy.
The largest photovoltaic park in Europe is a remarkable feat of engineering and innovation and a testament to Romania's vision and commitment to a greener future. The park will put Romania on the map as a leader in renewable energy and inspire other countries to follow suit. As Green Power Development's CEO, Ionut Balan said: "We are proud to contribute to Romania's energy independence and security, as well as to its climate action and sustainable development."
