The Ministry of Energy in Romania has launched a competitive auction round for eligible wind and solar energy facilities to award a total of €457.7 million ($508 million) for close to 950 MW capacity to come online.
For solar energy projects, the maximum amount of state funding that can be granted will be divided as €750,000 for projects within the range of more than 0.2 MW and up to 1 MW, and €425,000 per MW for installed capacities of over 1 MW. For the same categories, wind energy projects can expect to win €1,300,000 per MW and €650,000 per MW, respectively.
All eligible projects need to be located in Romania, and may come with or without energy storage facilities. Winning facilities will be expected to be grid connected latest by the end of Q2/2024.
Only new projects will be considered. Projects that are proposed to replace older capacity to produce wind and solar energy are not eligible, nor are projects that aim to expand power generation units.
"The implementation of projects eligible for funding under this aid scheme aims to increase by approximately 950 MW the installed capacity to produce electricity from wind and solar energy, with or without integrated storage facilities. Making investments means long-term solutions for the energy security of our country," said the Minister of Energy, Virgil Popescu.
Applications can be submitted between March 31, 2022 to May 31, 2022. Details of the auction are available on the ministry's website.
Funding for the auction will come from the country's €29.2 billion National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) under which the country aims to phase out coal and lignite power production by 2032. Of the total amount, the plan is to invest 41% on measures that support its green transition, according to the European Commission.