NEPI Rockcastle’s renewable energy output is expected to expand to cover 48% of the electricity demand of its shopping centres and tenants in Romania by the end of 2026. CEE’s largest retail real estate company is deploying a new 54.1 MW greenfield solar power park in western Romania under a €110 million programme – the biggest green energy investment for a non-energy sector corporate across the region’s markets.

Construction of the solar park at Chișineu-Criș in Arad County began in January. Once connected to the grid in Q4 2025, it will represent around a third of NEPI Rockcastle’s 159 MW of total installed photovoltaic capacity in rooftop and ground-mounted PV systems across 28 properties and multiple greenfield developments.

One of the largest producers of photovoltaic panels, LONGi Solar, has delivered 84,000 of its ‘highly efficient Hi-MO 9 back contact (BC) modules to Chișineu-Criș. With 24.8% module efficiency and enhanced thermal performance, these next-generation panels are optimised for Romania’s continental climate and will ensure high-yield, low-maintenance, clean energy generation for decades to come.

Andrei Radu, Group Development Director at NEPI Rockcastle, said: “NEPI Rockcastle’s green energy program is advancing through three major stages, reflecting our long-term commitment to sustainability and decarbonization efforts. We’re investing €110 million in new photovoltaic projects, including solar panel installations across 23 properties in CEE and greenfield developments in Romania totalling 159 MW in capacity.

As part of this program, we partnered with LONGi specifically for the Chișineu-Criș solar project, where their high-efficiency photovoltaic modules are helping us deliver a flagship utility-scale development in Romania. This collaboration supports our strategic goal of enhancing the use of electricity from renewable sources and increasing the energy autonomy of our retail assets”.

Delivered through SOLPOWER Energy and engineered by EPC partner Enevo Group, the development represents Romania’s largest utility-scale solar power project dedicated to retail infrastructure.

This project in Chișineu-Criș, Romania is expected to generate around 70,171 MWh of clean electricity each year, which is enough to power approximately 29,300 Romanian homes. In doing so, it will also help avoid around 21,100 tons of CO₂ emissions annually, as contribution to climate goals. Beyond environmental benefits, the project will create over 100 local jobs and give priority to regional contractors, boosting the local economy.

Mirel Jarnea, Country Manager Utility Scale Business Unit at LONGi, said: “This project exemplifies how BC technology transforms utility-scale solar into a reliable backbone for major infrastructure. Hi-MO 9’s unmatched performance ensures NEPI Rockcastle’s portfolio in Romania achieves energy stability.”

Eduard Meiloiu, Executive Director Renewables BU at ENEVO, said: “Our collaboration with LONGi has been seamless from start to finish, reflecting a truly efficient and aligned partnership. BC technology brought clear engineering advantages — from higher efficiency and improved thermal performance to long-term reliability. Our engineering team greatly appreciated the precision and flexibility of the solution, which enabled us to deliver a robust project tailored to local conditions and fully aligned with Romania’s sustainability goals.”

The Chișineu-Criș project has delivered significant local economic benefits to the Arad County area, creating over 100 jobs and engaging regional contractors throughout the construction phase. By combining climate mitigation with local economic development, this large-scale solar initiative demonstrates how renewable energy investments can drive both emissions reduction and regional socio-economic resilience.

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About NEPI Rockcastle

NEPI Rockcastle is Europe’s third-largest listed retail real estate company by investment portfolio value and the largest owner, operator, and developer of shopping centres in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The company’s €8bn portfolio is located across eight CEE countries and includes 60 properties. It is a market leader in Romania and Poland (NEPI Rockcastle’s two largest markets) and has shopping centres in Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia, The Czech Republic and Lithuania.

NEPI Rockcastle’s growth is enhanced by a substantial development programme (the current pipeline amounts to €788 million in total investments), accompanied by accretive acquisitions (its latest acquisitions were Magnolia Park Shopping Centre in Wroclaw, Poland in September 2024 and Silesia City Center in Katowice, Poland in December 2024, with a total value of 760 million euro). NEPI Rockcastle benefits from two key strategic advantages – its unique portfolio of retail space across the CEE, assembled over the past 15 years, and its team of over 650 employees, who bring unparalleled industry knowledge. 

More details here: www.nepirockcastle.com

About LONGi

Founded in 2000, LONGi is committed to being the world’s leading solar technology company, focusing on customer-driven value creation for full scenario energy transformation.

Under its mission of ‘making the best of solar energy to build a green world’, LONGi has dedicated itself to technology innovation and established several business sectors, covering mono silicon wafers cells and modules, commercial & industrial distributed solar solutions, green energy solutions and hydrogen equipment. The company has honed its capabilities to provide green energy and has more recently, also embraced green hydrogen products and solutions to support global zero carbon development.

About Enevo Group

ENEVO Group is a Romanian engineering company with the mission to provide innovative and efficient solutions to clients in the international energy sector.

ENEVO Group is a general contractor specialised in the construction and modernisation of electrical substations, renewable power plants, and industrial process automation systems. The company is built around an experienced, multidisciplinary team that includes specialists in energy, civil construction, automation, telecommunications, and cybersecurity for critical infrastructures.

The company is organised into three business divisions – Renewables, Power T&D, and Automation – and covers the entire project development cycle: from engineering to the delivery of turnkey solutions.

ENEVO Group has offices in Romania, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom, a multinational team of over 350 employees, and its client portfolio includes some of the largest companies in the world.