Caroli Foods Group, one of Romania’s leading producers of packaged meat products, is investing 1.3 million euros in developing its own photovoltaic park, located near its Pitești plant.
The investment supports Caroli Foods Group’s manufacturing operations in Argeș County. More than 200 packaged meat products and ready meals are produced at the company’s Pitești plant and marketed under the Caroli, Sissi, Campofrio, Maestro and Primo brands.
“By investing in our own renewable energy production, we are strengthening our operational efficiency, increasing the resilience of our operations and supporting the company’s long-term sustainable development. The city of Pitești and Argeș County play a central role in the development of Caroli Foods Group, and this investment demonstrates our commitment to continuing to develop our local operations in an environmentally responsible and energy-efficient manner. By increasing our energy independence and using energy from renewable sources, we create value for both the company and the local community,” said Giampaolo Manzonetto, CEO of Caroli Foods Group.
According to project estimates, the electricity produced by the photovoltaic park is expected to cover approximately 23% of the plant’s annual electricity consumption. By replacing part of the electricity purchased from the grid with energy produced by the park, the project is estimated to avoid approximately 610 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually, compared with the grid-supply scenario used for the calculation.
Located on land owned by Caroli Foods Group, the new photovoltaic park covers an area of 22,000 square metres and represents a strategic investment in increasing the share of renewable electricity used in the plant’s operations. The infrastructure includes 3,600 monocrystalline photovoltaic panels, each with a capacity of 700 W, corresponding to a combined nominal capacity of 2.52 MW.
The park’s annual electricity production is estimated at 2,750 MWh, and all energy generated is used for the plant’s own consumption, with no electricity fed into the national grid.
“The Pitești plant is the centre of our manufacturing operations, and the investment in our own photovoltaic park marks a new stage in the long-term development of the production facility. Integrating solar energy into the plant’s consumption directly contributes to greater operational efficiency, optimal resource use and improved predictability of energy costs. At the same time, this project supports the plant’s long-term competitiveness and strengthens our ability to produce responsibly and efficiently,” said Adrian Trifan, Pitești Plant Director, Caroli Foods Group.