Romania’s Ministry of Energy has approved €32.92 million ($27.2 million) in state aid for the construction of a 1.5 GW solar panel factory.

SC Heliomit SRL will build the manufacturing facility in Bârlad, northeastern Romania.

The ministry approved the funds under the country’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). The investment contract, signed in November 2024, is one of three solar manufacturing projects approved under the PNRR.

The three projects are expected to annually produce more than 1.7 GW of solar cells and panels and have received more than €47 million in state aid. The first contract, signed in October, is for a €3.89 million, 140 MW manufacturing and recycling facility in Sfântu Gheorghe, central Romania.

The Romanian authorities recently launched a 1.5 GW renewables tender to procure 1 GW of wind and 500 MW of solar. It announced the results of the auction in December, allocating 432 MW of solar at an average price of €0.051/kWh. The auction was part of a renewable energy procurement scheme aimed at building 5 GW of wind and solar capacity.