Alina Oprea • 26 January, 2024 at 4:24 PM
Three million photovoltaic panels received environmental approval in Arad County alone, including the largest photovoltaic park in Romania, which totals 1.79 million panels. Also, a 138 MW wind farm with 23 turbines is being built in Botoşani, which will stretch over 31 hectares of land. According to the National Agency for Environmental Protection (ANPM), regulatory documents have already been issued for these projects. The projects aimed at the use of solar or wind energy, for the production of electricity, are some of the most important investments approved from the point of view of environmental protection, during 2023, by the Environmental Protection Agencies (APM).
"The photovoltaic parks in Arad County represent an important category of projects approved by APM Arad, during the past year, according to the data provided by the county agency. They are to be developed, in the coming years, by two private companies, on impressive areas of 1,065 and 690 hectares, respectively. Such projects exist in several counties in the country, even if much smaller in size, proof that Romania relies on renewable energy", said the president of the National Environmental Protection Agency (ANPM), Laurentiu Alexandru Paștinaru.
The most important of these projects, named "Arad 1", will include 1.79 million photovoltaic panels, 311 transformer stations and inverters from 800 V to 33 kV, 9 transformer substations and three transformer stations, as well as systems of electrical energy storage. This is the largest photovoltaic park in Romania and according to the project, the installed power that will be generated by the system is 1,065 MW, and the electricity obtained will be distributed in the National Energy System.
"Moreover, the photovoltaic parks "Nadab I" and "Nadab II" add up to 1.13 million photovoltaic panels, 125 transformer positions, 5 transformer substations, and a total installed power of 683 MW, which will be distributed, also in the National Energy System. Together with "Arad 1", they total almost 3 million photovoltaic panels", said Laurentiu Alexandru Paștinaru.
In Mehedinți County, a project aimed at building a photovoltaic park on an area of 1.71 million sqm of land located in the commune of Jiana was approved. The value of this investment is estimated at around €80 million.
Wind farms will be developed in Botoșani, Buzău, Caraș Severin and Iași.
The project "Construction of wind turbines, access roads, sub transformation station, utility insurance, site organization", developed in Botoșani county by a private company received environmental approval from APM Botoșani, to be located in the outskirts of Mitoc commune, on a total area of 318,033 sqm. The 23 wind turbines will have a total power of 138 MW.
Buzăul will have a wind farm on land privately owned by the commune of Movila Banului, with an area of 235 hectares. The developer's plans foresee, according to APM Buzău, the construction of a Wind Power Plant consisting of 10 wind turbines with an installed power of approximately 66 MW, with the related facilities, spaces for technical and building equipment, and the infrastructure necessary for location and operation. The entire installation will be connected to the public electricity grid. The project is part of a set of wind farms designed for Buzău County, which make up the energy objective named ”Wind power plant 165 MW-Buzău West”, approved by Transelectrica SA.
The Sfânta Elena wind park, proposed by a private company, for the Caraș-Severin County, in the communes of Coronini and Moldova Nouă, for which the environmental assessment procedure was completed by the Caraș-Severin APM, includes 22 wind turbines that can reach maximum blade tip height of 200 meters and associated infrastructure. The total nominal power at the level of the park is 142.4 MW, the proposed implementation period is 36 months from the date of issuance of the building permit, and the estimated value of the project is €120 million.
"Another project for the construction of a wind farm is in the process of issuing the environmental authorization, at the Iasi APM, and provides for the location and installation of 12 wind turbines with a total power of 72 MW, on the administrative territory of the commune of Ruginoasa, on an area total of 253,725 sqm. The construction will also include the electric transmission networks, the transformation station, the development of existing roads, as well as the construction of new access roads", detailed ANPM vice-president, Eugen Ioan Cozma.
The maximum height approved for these turbines is 207 meters and it is estimated that the plant will deliver approximately 148,000 MWh/year to the National Energy System.