Ameresco Sunel Energy has been awarded an engineering, procurement and construction contract for the 58 MW Iratoșu solar power plant in Romania’s Arad county. The integrated EPC mandate covers delivery through commercial start-up and includes long-term operation and maintenance after commissioning. The project is being developed by UK-based TDI Renewables.
EPC scope includes grid connection assets
Ameresco Sunel will provide detailed engineering, equipment procurement, construction and commissioning for the Iratoșu facility. The contract scope also includes a 33/110 kV substation and the underground cable system needed to connect the plant to Romania’s electricity network. Including those elements within the EPC package is intended to reduce interface risk between generation works and the grid connection.
The structure consolidates responsibility for both the generation facility and grid-side components. Many regional solar projects have faced delays when the generation plant was completed before the substation, transmission bay or connection line. A single contractor covering both packages supports schedule control and performance accountability for the developer.
Investment outlook and expected generation
The final capital cost for the Iratoșu project was not disclosed. For a Romanian utility-scale solar plant of this type, an indicative investment range of approximately €35–50 million could apply, depending on module specifications, land conditions, grid works, financing costs and the extent of owner-supplied equipment.
Based on a typical annual yield of 1,250–1,450 MWh per installed MW, Iratoșu could generate about 72–84 GWh per year. Revenue is expected to depend on the project’s contracting strategy and its exposure to increasingly volatile Romanian day-ahead prices.
Market exposure and potential storage option
Romania’s rapid solar expansion is compressing prices during high-output hours. That trend increases cannibalisation risk for merchant projects, where annual average market prices may remain attractive while prices captured specifically during solar production hours decline.
The project is expected to benefit from a power-purchase agreement, active hedging or integration with storage. Even if no battery is included at the initial stage, technical design should preserve the option to add storage later as grid conditions and market spreads evolve.
JV footprint and delivery requirements
Ameresco Sunel Energy operates as a joint venture between US-based Ameresco and Greece’s Sunel Group. It has already announced Romanian solar developments with a combined capacity of 466 MW, mainly in the country’s southwest.
The Iratoșu award extends that footprint into western Romania while adding long-term operational coverage through O&M. For TDI Renewables, key delivery considerations include procurement quality, grid-code compliance, energisation sequencing, documentation and performance testing. Commissioning of the substation and underground connection must be coordinated with the relevant network operator, while the completed plant will require reliable SCADA, metering and forecasting systems.
Romania remains among Central and Eastern Europe’s fastest-growing solar markets. As congestion and solar-price cannibalisation become more pronounced, projects that combine secure grid access, EPC execution discipline and a credible route to market are positioned to retain a financing advantage.
