Israeli energy company Shikun and Binui Energy has officially started commercial operations at its second solar power plant in Romania.
The new facility is located in Șimleu Silvaniei, in Sălaj county in the northwest part of the country. It has a peak capacity of 104 MW, which means it can produce enough electricity to power tens of thousands of homes.
The launch comes right after the company reached the “ready-to-build” stage for another project in Romania — the Deleni hybrid power plant.
With the new Șimleu Silvaniei plant now running, Shikun and Binui Energy’s total solar capacity in Romania has gone up to 175 MW.
The company said it is not stopping there. It is currently working on new renewable energy projects in Romania that add up to 1.16 GW of power generation. That’s more than 10 times the size of the new plant.
In addition, the company is developing 730 MWh of battery storage. Batteries are important because they store solar power during the day and release it at night, helping to keep the electricity grid stable.
Both of Shikun and Binui’s solar plants in Romania were built by CJR Renewables, a company that handles engineering, procurement and construction for renewable projects.
The first plant is in Satu Mare county, right next to Sălaj county. The second one is the new Șimleu Silvaniei site.
Two years ago, Raiffeisen Group approved a €49 million loan to help fund the construction of the Șimleu Silvaniei plant.
Shikun and Binui Energy focuses on building and running clean energy projects. Its work includes solar farms, solar thermal systems, battery storage, pumped storage, and agrivoltaics — which is when farming and solar panels are used on the same land.
The company is part of the larger Shikun and Binui group, which also works in infrastructure and real estate. The group first came to Romania 20 years ago and has been expanding its presence since then.
CJR Renewables also shared news about another project it built. A month ago, it said the Iepurești photovoltaic plant southwest of Bucharest, in Giurgiu county, had started testing.
That plant is even bigger, with a capacity of 169 MW. Once fully operational, it will add even more solar power to Romania’s grid.
Romania has been attracting more investment in solar and wind energy as the country works to cut reliance on fossil fuels and meet EU climate goals. With new plants like Șimleu Silvaniei and Iepurești coming online, and more projects in the pipeline, Romania’s renewable energy sector is growing fast.
Shikun and Binui Energy says it plans to keep investing in the country and support Romania’s shift to cleaner, more affordable electricity.
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