Romania Powers Up Giant Solar Farm With Battery Storage

Romania just switched on one of Europe's most impressive clean energy projects, and it's changing how solar power works.

Energy company Econergy launched a giant battery system at its Părău 1 solar farm in Brașov, Romania. The 70 MW battery, roughly the size of a football field, works alongside a 92 MW solar array that's been generating clean electricity since early 2024.

Here's why this matters. Solar panels only work when the sun shines, but batteries solve that problem by storing excess energy for cloudy days or nighttime use. This project stores enough power to supply thousands of homes even after sunset.

The battery does something clever that most solar farms can't. It charges directly from the power grid during hours when electricity prices drop (sometimes even going negative when there's too much supply). Then it sells that stored energy back when demand and prices are higher.

Econergy invested €85 million in the combined solar and battery system, and the numbers look promising. The company expects to earn nearly €10 million in revenue from the battery alone, with profits reaching €8 million annually. That means the investment could pay for itself in just over three years.

The Ripple Effect: Romania is experiencing a renewable energy boom, recently surpassing 1 gigawatt of battery storage capacity nationwide. That's enough to power a medium-sized city entirely on stored clean energy.

Econergy isn't stopping here. The company has over 1 gigawatt-hour of additional battery storage under construction across Romania, including a 120 MW battery for its 155 MW Rătești solar project. Three more solar farms are getting similar battery upgrades, creating a network of reliable clean energy across the country.

Last month, Econergy secured €229 million in financing for an even bigger project nearby. The Părău 2 site will pair a 342 MW solar plant with a 150 MW battery, making it one of Europe's largest hybrid renewable energy facilities.

CEO Eyal Podhorzer says this project proves that renewable energy companies can successfully operate power plants, not just build them. By combining solar generation with smart battery storage, these facilities provide the kind of reliable, on-demand power that traditional fossil fuel plants once monopolized.

Romania's embrace of battery-enhanced solar farms is creating a blueprint that other European nations are watching closely.