Nofar Energy Romania has announced the start of commercial operations at the Iepurești and Ghimpați photovoltaic parks, two of the largest solar energy projects developed to date in Romania.
With a combined installed capacity of more than 315 MWp, the two projects represent a 250 million euros investment in Romania’s energy infrastructure and mark an important milestone in Nofar Energy’s long-term business strategy on the local market.
The Iepurești photovoltaic park has an installed capacity of 169.4 MWp and is currently the largest operational solar park in Romania. The Ghimpați solar park has an installed capacity of 146 MWp.
Together, the two projects are expected to generate approximately 430 GWh of green electricity annually, enough to support the operations of numerous companies and equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of more than 250,000 households. Their output is also expected to avoid approximately 160,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions each year.
The start of commercial operations follows the successful completion of the certification tests required for grid connection and the acquisition of all necessary approvals.
“When we started the Iepurești and Ghimpați projects, we looked at the market and set out to demonstrate that large-scale projects could be built in Romania. Today, we have 315 MW connected to the grid, as part of a portfolio of nearly 850 MW under development, and we are at an advanced stage of integrating energy storage. I believe that if the country manages to bring several gigawatts online over the coming years, Romania’s energy landscape will look completely different by 2030. And we will be part of this transformation,” said Favi Stelian, Managing Partner of Nofar Energy Romania.
The two solar parks were built in parallel over a period of approximately two years. Their development was supported by a 110 million euros financing package, signed in August 2024 with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Raiffeisen Bank International, and partially backed by a guarantee provided under the European Union’s InvestEU programme.
A key component of the Iepurești and Ghimpați projects is their planned integration with battery energy storage systems (BESS), which are being developed in the same area.
“The start of commercial operations at the Iepurești and Ghimpați parks represents an important milestone not only for Nofar Energy, but also for Romania’s energy transition. We worked closely with the EBRD and Raiffeisen Bank International to secure financing for these two projects, and today we are seeing the result: 315 MW connected to the grid. Our next step is the integration of large-scale storage, because we are convinced that renewable energy delivered at scale and combined with storage solutions represents the fastest path towards a secure, affordable and clean energy system,” said Andreea Gilicel, Commercial Director of Nofar Energy.
The planned storage capacity stands at 280 MW / 860 MWh, giving the project a significant footprint within Romania’s BESS infrastructure. The integration of storage will transform Iepurești and Ghimpați from large-scale renewable generation projects into integrated energy assets capable of providing both green electricity and flexibility to the power system.
Nofar Energy Romania is an independent renewable energy producer that has been active on the Romanian market since 2021 and is part of an international group operating in 10 countries. The company develops, owns and operates renewable energy projects and is building the infrastructure needed for the next stage of Romania’s energy transition.
Iepurești and Ghimpați are key projects within Nofar’s Romanian portfolio, which comprises approximately 800 MW of photovoltaic capacity and around 1.9 GWh of energy storage capacity, including projects that are operational, under construction and under development.