Nofar Energy has started supplying electricity from its 146 MW Ghimpati solar power plant in Romania’s Giurgiu county. The facility has been energised and is gradually increasing deliveries to the national grid. With the start of operations, the Israeli developer’s operational solar capacity in Romania rises to 315 MW.
Commissioning expands Romania’s solar generation base
The commissioning of Ghimpati increases Romania’s solar generation at a time when the country is seeking additional domestic generation. Rapid growth in midday renewable output is also increasing the need for storage and flexible network operation. The plant’s ramp-up to the grid is part of its initial delivery phase.
Utility-scale battery planned for Ghimpati
Nofar is installing a utility-scale battery at Ghimpati to improve energy management and reduce loss of solar output. The storage component is intended to shift generation into more valuable hours. In a market where new solar additions are beginning to depress daytime prices, evening demand remains exposed to thermal and import costs.
Since entering Romania in 2021, Nofar has built a development portfolio totaling 849 MW of solar capacity and 2.27 GWh of battery storage. This portfolio positions the company among the larger combined renewable and storage pipelines in the Romanian market. The company’s battery plans are linked to its ongoing solar build-out in the country.
Procurement agreement covers two Giurgiu projects
In May, Nofar signed a limited notice to proceed and a procurement agreement worth approximately €80mn with an undisclosed battery supplier. The deal covers two projects in Giurgiu county with combined storage volume of around 860 MWh. The agreements relate to battery installations intended to complement the solar generation profile at each site.
The higher power-rated installation will be developed at Iepuresti, with 160 MW/340 MWh, providing slightly more than two hours of discharge duration. A separate system will be hosted at Ghimpati, with 120 MW/520 MWh, giving it more than four hours of storage. The different configurations indicate distinct operational roles for each project within market participation.
Storage role as photovoltaic output grows
The Iepuresti setup can target short-duration balancing and high-power market events, while Ghimpati can support longer energy shifting. The longer-duration configuration is also aimed at reducing curtailment and extending solar delivery beyond daylight hours. As more photovoltaic projects connect to the grid, Romania’s storage market is expected to become increasingly valuable based on connection rights, balancing-market access, congestion exposure, and intraday price spread durability.
Ghimpati’s solar commissioning provides immediate generation volume, while the battery determines how efficiently that output can be monetised. With a 120 MW/520 MWh system, the project can operate as a managed power asset rather than an intermittently producing solar plant. This relationship between generation and storage capacity shapes how deliveries can be timed relative to demand periods.
