Romania’s Ministry of Energy to Focus Again on Batteries and PV Panels

The Romanian Ministry of Energy has re-launched two calls cancelled in October 2023. The first concerns the call for projects to support investments in the development of electricity storage capacities – batteries. This call aims at the commissioning of a minimum of 240 MW (or 480 MWh) of battery electricity storage capacity by 30 June 2026. The total budget for the scheme is EUR 79.6 million, with funding from the NRRP. The second call includes projects to support investments in the construction of new battery production, assembly, and recycling capacities and to support investments in the construction of new production, assembly and recycling capacities for photovoltaic cells and panels. The total budget for the call for projects is EUR 199 million.

The first call relates to projects for “Supporting investments in the development of electricity storage capacities (batteries)” under Investment 4 NRRP – Industrial chain for the production and/or assembly and/or recycling of batteries, photovoltaic cells and panels (including ancillary equipment) and new electricity storage capacities, Sub-measure 4.3 – Supporting investments in the development of electricity storage capacities (batteries).

The objective of the call for projects is to commission a minimum of 240 MW (or 480 MWh) of electricity storage capacity in batteries by 30 June 2026, contributing to the achievement of Romania’s objectives under the NRRP, following a call for projects with selection criteria that ensure compliance with the technical guidance on the application of “do no significant harm” (2021/C58/01).

The competitive call is open until 21 March.

The purchase of plant/equipment for the construction of new battery electricity storage capacity and the construction of the battery electricity storage project are eligible.

The total budget for the scheme is the equivalent in RON of EUR 79,600,000, calculated at the InforEuro rate of the month preceding the launch of the competitive tendering procedure (January 2024), European funds provided through the Recovery and Resilience Facility under the NRRP, investment I4.

Micro, small, medium-sized, and large enterprises whose articles of association include activities relating to the production and sale of electricity corresponding to division 35: “Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply” of the classification of NACE rev. 2 or equivalent may apply.

The second call concerns projects to support investments in the construction of new battery production, assembly and recycling capacities, and to support investments in the construction of new production, assembly and recycling capacities for photovoltaic cells and panels related to Investment 4 – Industrial chain for the production and/or assembly and/or recycling of batteries, photovoltaic cells and panels (including ancillary equipment) and new electricity storage capacities, Sub-measure 4.1 Supporting investments in the whole battery value chain (production and/or assembly and recycling) and sub-measure 4.2 Supporting investments in the whole photovoltaic cells and panels value chain (production and/or assembly and recycling).

The call for projects launched is a competitive call (Competitive Tendering Procedure), based on selection criteria and scoring, with submission deadline between 8 February 2024 and 21 March 2024.

The total budget for the call for projects is the equivalent in RON of EUR 199,000,000, calculated at the InforEuro rate of the month preceding the launch of the competitive tendering procedure (January 2024 – i.e. 1 EUR = 4.9753 RON), European funds provided through the Recovery and Resilience Facility under the NRRP, investment I4, broken down as follows:

• Realisation of new battery production and/or assembly and recycling capacities: EUR 149,250,000
• Realisation of new capacities for production and/or assembly and recycling of photovoltaic cells and panels including recycling: EUR 49,750,000.

The objectives of the call for projects are:

• Commissioning of at least 2 GW/year of battery production and/or assembly and recycling capacity by 30 June 2026, contributing to the achievement of Romania’s targets under the NRRP – Component C6. Energy, investment measure I.4. Industrial chain for the production and/or assembly and/or recycling of batteries, photovoltaic cells and panels (including ancillary equipment) and new electricity storage capacities.
• Commissioning of at least 200 MW/year of photovoltaic cell or panel production and/or assembly and recycling capacity by 30 June 2026, contributing to the achievement of Romania’s targets under the NRRP – Component C6. Energy, investment measure I.4. Industrial chain for the production and/or assembly and recycling of batteries, photovoltaic cells, and panels (including ancillary equipment), as well as new electricity storage capacities.

The construction of new battery production and/or assembly and recycling capacity is financed, which includes any combination of the activities of production of electrodes and/or electrode and battery components including recycling, assembly of electrodes into batteries and battery testing/conditioning including recycling.

Funding is also ensured for the construction of new capacity for the production and/or assembly and recycling of photovoltaic cells or panels, which includes any combination of polysilicon and wafer production activities, including recycling, cell assembly and photovoltaic modules, including recycling.

Eligible activities are the purchase of plant/equipment for the construction of new battery production and/or assembly and recycling capacity and the purchase of plant/equipment for the construction of new production and/or assembly and recycling capacities for photovoltaic cells and panels.

Eligible applicants within the call are micro, small, medium-sized, and large enterprises that have at least one of the activities with NACE codes (or equivalent) in their articles of association:

→3832 – Recovery of sorted materials

→2720 – Manufacture of batteries and accumulators

→2790 – Manufacture of other electrical equipment.