Farmers can submit projects for energy production from renewable sources

Alina Oprea

23 October, 2023 at 3:40 PM

From November 5, 2023, farmers and processors can submit projects for the realization of new capacities to produce electricity from solar or wind sources in the agricultural sector, land improvements, and the food industry. Enterprises from the agricultural sector and the food industry (micro-enterprises, small, medium-sized enterprises and large enterprises, including PFA, II, IF, as well as agricultural cooperatives or agricultural cooperative societies that own physical production assets and/or processing agri-food products), legally constituted and registered at the National Office of the Trade Register (ONRC), but also organizations/federations of organizations in the field of land improvements (OUAI/FOUAI).

Potential beneficiaries can submit several projects only if the investments target different places of consumption, within the value of €20 million per beneficiary.

"I signed the order for the approval of the State Aid Scheme regarding the support of investments in new production capacities of electricity produced from renewable sources for the self-consumption of enterprises in the agricultural sector and the food industry. From November 5, 2023, farmers and processors can submit projects to achieve new electricity production capacities from solar or wind sources (below 1 MW inclusive and above 1 MW), with or without integrated storage capacities", said the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Florin Barbu.

The amount of state aid granted under the scheme per installed MW is a maximum, but not more than 100% of the eligible costs as follows: for wind energy - €1.4 million/MW for installed capacities of less than 1 MW, inclusive, and €700,000/MW for installed capacity greater than 1 MW, and for solar energy - €1 million/MW for installed capacity less than 1 MW, inclusive, and €500,000/MW for installed capacity greater than 1 MW.

"I have wanted to implement this program ever since I led the National Land Improvement Agency and I am glad that the discussions with the farmers and my colleagues from the institutions subordinate to the Ministry of Agriculture are now materializing through this aid which means energy independence for farmers, lower costs, higher profit and a new step for the development of Romanian agriculture", Minister Florin Barbu also noted.