Shopping mall operator to break ground on major solar power plant in Romania

Monsson Group sold a 50 MW photovoltaic project in Romania to shopping mall operator NEPI Rockcastle, which already operates 38 MW and has 115 MW more underway.

Romania real estate and solar power markets are thriving. It is motivating firms in logistics, the commercial sector and other fields to install solar power systems for self-supply, but for selling electricity as well. NEPI Rockcastle has purchased a ready-to-build 50 MW project near the town of Chișinău-Criş (Kisjenő in Hungarian).

It bought it from Monsson Group. The developer said all permits are there and that the start of construction is scheduled for January.

“Now is the time for large consumers to invest in renewables to make their own consumption more efficient, and this is certainly just the beginning,” said Sebastian Enache, Monsson’s board member responsible for mergers and acquisitions.

Project includes energy storage unit

The site is in Arad county in the country’s northwest. Monsson, which launched the project in 2022, said it envisages an energy storage unit.

The initiative is an important step in the joint strategy of the two companies to accelerate the transition to renewable energy sources and long-term sustainability, Enache added.

NEPI Rockcastle owns and operates shopping centers. It is also active in Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Lithuania.

Another location under due diligence could be suitable for over 100 MW

The company completed the first phase of its green energy project in the first half of the year. It said it installed photovoltaic panels across 27 locations in Romania with 38 MW in total capacity. The investment was worth EUR 34 million. It generated EUR 7.3 million in income, according to the financial report for the first nine months of 2024.

The second stage involving shopping malls outside Romania, is well underway, NEPI Rockcastle said. There are 24 locations with an overall 15 MW in various stages of permitting or construction, the company added.

The third phase is to invest in greenfield, ready-to-build photovoltaic projects in Romania. The second location, for a potential capacity of more than 100 MW is under due diligence.

“The company has earmarked almost EUR 100 million for these projects,” the report adds.