OMV Petrom, Southeast Europe's largest integrated energy producer, has awarded the engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning (EPCC) contract for the Ișalnița solar project in Romania. The contract includes the construction of the photovoltaic park, the 110 kV power station for connection to the grid, as well as the operation and maintenance for a period of 2 years from commissioning, the company said.

This is the first large-scale photovoltaic project fully developed by OMV Petrom. The park will have an installed capacity of approximately 89 MWp and is located in Ișalnița commune, Dolj county. The estimated annual production will be approximately 130 GWh.

The contract was awarded to the association of Romanian companies Actual Connect S.R.L., Global Technical Systems S.A., Bit Invest S.R.L., and Alpin Sun S.R.L. following a competitive selection process. Together, these firms bring a combined experience of over 700 MW in photovoltaic systems across Europe, in countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Romania.

The next step in this project is the start of construction, with completion and commissioning expected to take place in the first half of 2026.

Franck Neel, OMV Petrom Executive Board Member responsible for Gas & Power, stated: "The signing of this contract marks a significant moment for our company, the start of the actual construction of the first large photovoltaic project fully developed by OMV Petrom."

The Ișalnița project supports OMV Petrom's goal of having a portfolio of 2.5 GW of renewable energy projects together with partners.

Additionally, as part of the call for projects within Romania's National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), OMV Petrom has submitted a project to build a Battery Energy Storage System with a storage capacity of 36 MWh and a power injection into the grid of 18 MW. If successful, the system is to be installed within the Ișalnița park.

OMV Petrom is Southeast Europe's largest integrated energy producer, with annual oil and gas production of approximately 41 million barrels of oil equivalent (BOE) in 2023. It operates a high-efficiency 860 MW gas-fired power plant and has an extensive distribution network across Romania and neighboring countries with approximately 780 fuel stations under the OMV and Petrom brands.

As of end-2023, Romanian shareholders hold over 43% of the shares of OMV Petrom, of which the Romanian state, through the Ministry of Energy, has 20.7%. OMV Aktiengesellschaft, one of the largest listed industrial companies in Austria, holds a 51.2% stake in OMV Petrom, and the remaining 5.6% is held by other foreign investors. Of the total shares of OMV Petrom, 28.1% represents the free float on the Bucharest Stock Exchange.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: OMV Petrom)