Simtel, a Romanian engineering and technology company, has commissioned a 52 MWp photovoltaic park in Giurgiu, considered by the company as the largest solar park in Romania built on degraded land.
The annual production of 73 GWh can cover the consumption of over 27,000 households and reduce emissions by over 20,000 tons of CO₂ per year.
The project was carried out on a former industrial ash dump, an abandoned and unstable land, transformed into a modern photovoltaic park.
The investment value exceeds 60 million lei and was financed through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR).
"Simtel announces the commissioning of the photovoltaic park in Giurgiu, the largest photovoltaic park in Romania built on degraded land... The completion of this project represents a crucial step in strengthening Simtel's presence in the renewable energy production market," the company stated, as quoted by News.ro.
The project was fully developed by Simtel, from land acquisition to commissioning.
Simtel's CEO, Mihai Tudor, emphasizes that the project is an example of converting abandoned industrial areas into sources of green energy: "The project in Giurgiu is a unique project and becomes a model for converting unused industrial lands into sources of clean energy... We worked on an atypical land, a former industrial ash dump, an abandoned, unstable site that required completely different technical solutions compared to those applied on regular soil. From land consolidation and shaping the new infrastructure, to integrating all electrical and monitoring systems, each stage involved a much higher level of effort and coordination."
The land, acquired in 2021, spans over 83 hectares and includes a 16-hectare lake, also a former ash dump.
The area has been rehabilitated, and the company states that the project also has positive ecological effects, with the lake becoming a habitat for swans and various fish species.
The project benefits from a non-repayable funding of 60.6 million lei through the PNRR, complemented by a bridge loan from Banca Transilvania and an investment loan of 16 million euros, plus the company's own contribution.
The park includes over 85,000 panels and 170 smart inverters, and the energy is delivered to the National Energy System through six transformation stations and a new electric station.
The produced energy will be sold through a 10-year PPA contract with G-Energy Solutions, a company majority owned by Simtel.
The company currently has nine photovoltaic parks in its portfolio, with a total installed capacity of approximately 153 MWp. Four of these are already operational, with others set to be completed by 2026. Simtel is also preparing the Bughea project, with 70 MWp, estimated for 2027, which will be the largest park developed by the company.