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Romania is experiencing strong growth in photovoltaic capacity, with 1.7 GW installed in 2024 alone. Local authorities are actively contributing to the energy transition. They include Timișoara, which will soon get its own solar power plant, of 5.6 MW.

According to data from the Romanian Photovoltaic Industry Association (RPIA), solar power plants with a total capacity of 1.7 GW were installed in Romania last year. The expansion is driven by accessible financing, legal reforms, simplified permitting procedures, and auctions for contracts for difference (CfD).

Local authorities, including counties, are one of the pillars of the country’s energy transition. For example, in the small town of Turceni in southwestern Romania, home to only about 7,000 residents, a EUR 380 million project was recently launched. The municipal authority signed an agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB) for the construction of agrosolar parks, energy storage systems, and facilities for green hydrogen production and storage.

Timișoara is part of a growing group of local authorities developing solar power projects for their own needs

In northern Romania, the municipality of Târgu Lăpuș has established a public-private partnership with a company founded by Turkish and Romanian investors. The goal is to build a 200 MW solar power plant with an energy storage system. The investment is estimated at EUR 100 million.

Timișoara, the capital of Timiș county and the largest city in western Romania, has long been a part of the growing group of municipalities developing solar power projects for their own needs. Mayor Dominic Fritz and Minister of Environment Diana Buzoianu have signed a grant agreement for the construction of the city’s first solar park, of 5.6 MW, marking the start of the investment’s next phase.

The municipality will now launch the tender procedure for design and construction services. The solar power plant is expected to generate an average of 7.8 GWh of green energy annually.

Solar park to deliver direct benefits for the city

The total investment value is RON 32.2 million lei (EUR 6.3 million) including value-added tax. The project is conducted under the European Union’s Modernisation Fund, managed by the Ministry of Energy. The fund supports investments in renewable energy, energy efficiency, storage, grids, and just transition in 13 European Union member states with lower incomes. It uses the proceeds from the sale of greenhouse gas emission allowances under the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS).

“The solar park will bring direct benefits to the city – lower costs, reduced emissions, and more sustainable infrastructure. It is just one of the projects through which we are transforming Timișoara into a green and smart city, capable of producing a significant share of the energy it consumes from renewable sources,” said Fritz.

The solar power plant will cover two thirds of public lighting needs

PV panels will be installed near the wastewater treatment plant in the Freidorf district, on 20 hectares. The generated electricity will cover around two thirds of the city’s public lighting consumption. The facility would contribute to lowering greenhouse gas emissions with 4,800 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent annually.

The solar power plant is part of the local administration’s broader plan to switch to renewable energy sources and reduce pollution. Timișoara has also expressed interest in a state aid mechanism for the production and transport of geothermal energy for district heating and cooling systems, worth EUR 300 million, covered from the Modernisation Fund. Last year, the city signed a strategic partnership with OMV Petrom to utilize geothermal energy for district heating.