Alina Oprea • 21 June, 2023 at 3:00 PM
CIEH Soda Romania has started the production of solar energy, as a result of an investment of RON1.7 million (€340,000) in a photovoltaic park. The investment marks a new activity in the development process of the company, which currently produces liquid silicates, an important raw material for the tire industry, the detergent industry, and the paper industry, in the production of chemicals used in construction and for materials used in welding. The capacity of the photovoltaic park is 399.62 KWp. The project covers an area of approximately 4,000 sqm and the photovoltaic panels have a total area of 1944.4 sqm.
"We have made a commitment to continue our activity in a responsible and sustainable way, to maintain the relevance of our company, in step with economic trends. This project represents an important step towards achieving our goals and we are proud to contribute to Romania's green energy transition and officially become prosumers", says the General Director of CIECH Soda Romania, Maria-Irina Andronache.
CIECH Soda România S.A., a CIECH Group company, currently focuses its production on liquid silicates. Solar energy production, launched in June 2023, is a new step towards increasing revenues and building a new profile for this renowned local economic agent.
The project will have a positive environmental impact within the Chemical Platform, as the photovoltaic park will have the capacity to produce electricity and feed it into the grid, creating a new source of income and reducing the carbon footprint.
Romania has registered an increase in the number of projects in the field of solar energy in recent years. According to the National Energy Regulatory Authority, in 2022, there were over 2,300 photovoltaic parks in Romania with a total installed power of over 1,700 MW. The increase in the number of projects in the field of solar energy is a consequence of Romania's commitment to meet the objective of producing 30% of energy from renewable sources by 2030.
At the same time, the launch of CIECH Soda Romania's photovoltaic park project is part of the company's efforts to maintain its status as a reliable business partner. The project highlights the company's commitment to sustainable development and the continuation of its activity in Râmnicu Vâlcea in a responsible and sustainable way. The use of renewable energy sources is also one of the objectives of the CIECH Group's ESG strategy. Through this strategy, CIECH is committed to decoupling development from energy consumption. CIECH Soda România S.A., a company owned by the CIECH Group, has been on standby since 2019 due to the termination of the steam supply contract (a raw material necessary in the production processes) by its only available supplier.