Solar project for sales 48 MV PV plant romania Dambovita FJ025

The Big Picture

  • Capitalize on Government-backed Green Certificate (GC) incentive scheme with top prices achievable for early entrants (estimated top GC trading price at least 3 years from Renewable Energy Law publishing)
  • Tap in to high demand for renewable energy created by Romanian Government undertaking targets vs. EU green energy policy.
  • For the next 2-3 years at least, the revenues from green energy projects (MWh price plus GC price) will slightly increase vs. the current price situation (no external market factors are considered). Application of GC subsidies system is covered by a MWh price increasing (until 2020 it is estimated a MWh price increasing up to 30%)
  • Romania rated as the 3rd fastest growing country in the EU for gaining planning permission for wind turbine developments (according to European Wind Energy Association); After the coming into force of Renewable Energy Law it is expected a similar growth for PV developments.
  • Since launch of trading platform, GCs have been traded at the maximum price, i.e. 241.04 Ron. GC are fully traded.
  • Renewable Energy Law is applicable starting October 2011 (Government Order 88/12.10.2011)

Tariff review

  • Romanian Government undertaking for renewable energy, including hydro, concerns an increasing of renewable energy production vs. gross internal energy production at 48% by 2020
  • Renewable energy, that benefits of GC system subsidies is set at 20% from total energy production by 2020 (from 10% in 2011 and 12% in 2012)
  • GC tariff schedule will operate for 15 years from commissioning date, providing project starts no later then 2016Solar generated power will receive 6 GCs per MWh;
  • GC prices: min. €27 to max. €55; starting with 2011, the GC price will be EU inflation-indexed at set up in Ron based on average Eur / Ron at the BNR exchange rate established in December, "previous" year.
  • Current average electricity price €50 per MWh (average price for interval 1-24 h for 2011); tariff used in the financial modelling, also.
  • Penalties of €110 per non-purchased GC, payable by non-compliant electricity suppliers -> twice the price of purchasing Green Certificates. The penalty is also EU inflation-indexed

Connection costs:

1.The Technical Connection Permit Construction Permit requires as a condition to sign the Connection Contract a fee (the Connection Fee) of 450 000 EUR. This fee represents the budget for the works that the Power Distribution Company needs to do in order to accommodate the power generated by the Project. According to the law, prior to sign the Connection Contract, the Connection Fee can be negotiated directly with the Contractor of the work; this operation always reduces the amount with 10-15%.
2.The additional costs for the connection are generated by the need of a PV park's own 20/110 kV sub-station and the MV interconnection of the 2 PV fields, plus a 1.8 km underground 110kV cable to connect the PV park's sub-station with the Power Distribution company's sub-station - it is estimated at about 2 mil EUR.

Land Lease costs:
1. The lease / ha / year is about 700 EUR.
2. The first payment was made for a 6 months period, for 100 ha. 

Construction Permit Fee:
1. The Construction Permit states a 120 000 EUR Construction Permit Fee should be paid.
2. Currently, an amount of 40 000 EUR (one third) of this tax is already paid. 

Project’s Specifics

  • The Project has an installed power of 48 MW, being developed over a land with a surface of over 98 ha, divided in 2 plots interconnected with 20 kV underground power lines.
  • The land: 120 ha, privately owned (3 private individual owners); the rights are secured for a period of 30 years, starting January / March 2012.
  • The location is conveniently placed from the access roads point of view and also in a very close proximity to one 110/20 kV distribution sub-station, owned by the local power distribution company (Electrica Muntenia), where The Project will have its connection point to the national power grid.
  • There is a double 110 kV overhead power line and a 20kV one crossing one of the 2 plots of land covered by the project, owned by the local power distribution company (Electrica Muntenia); the 20kV line will be used to connect the PV plant to the national power grid, for the internal services.
  • The fixed ground-mounted PV panels will be of premium quality, supplied by REC Group – Norway (type REC 235 PE), with an efficiency of up to 14.2%, a 10 year product warranty and a 25 year linear power output warranty (max. regression in performance of 0.7% p.a.).
  • The invertors will also be of premium quality, from SMA – Germany.

Solar Resource

Over 210 sunny days per annum

  • 1450-1500 kWh / sqm is the yearly sum of global irradiation
  • The figures are submitted in kWh (per mp/year), on optimally – inclined PV modules, the most used calculation method for energetic application.
  • Photovoltaic Geographical Information Systems (PVGIS) is a software approved by the Centre for Renewable Energy Sources
  • The solar map related for Dambovita area is developed and offered by Energy Research Institute – Italy, entity under coordination of the EUPower plant
Permitting process – general overview:

According to the Romania laws, there are two key-permits to be obtained:

1.The Construction Permit, as a result of a land use change procedure and an application file including different additional permits (including Environmental Permit) and basic designs (civil works and technical design) of the project;

2.The Connection-to-the-grid Permit (Technical Connection Permit), following a procedure that includes, among getting few other additional permits, a Connection Solution Study performed by an authorized consultant.

Permitting process – Project’s status:

The procedure for the change of the land destination was completed; civil works design and technical designs were made; the Construction Permit no 21 was legally issued in 31.05.2012, by the Primaria  (Local Mayor’s Office).

The Connection Solution Study was conducted and all the approvals for the connection solution have been obtained; Connection Permit no 3XXXX, was legally issued in 29.05.2012 by Electrica Distributie Muntenia Nord SA .

THE CURRENT STAGE OF THE PROJECT IS “READY TO BUILD”

Assumptions for revenues’ estimation:


Green Certificate price

Considered the current price of EUR 56.16 (equiv. of RON 241 at an exchange rate of 4.25)

Yearly adjusted with inflation rate (EUROSTAT data), estimated at 2.50% p.a. (average for 2005-2010 was 2.70%; for 2011 estimated at 2.70%)

No changing negative adverse pricing up to 2015 (included)

Starting with 2015 until 2020, can be considered a GC’s price decreasing of 30%, constantly distributed during the analysed period.

Electricity Price

2011 MWh price considered is EUR 50 (based on 2011 quantity electricity statistics, for 0-24h intervals; for 2011 the average price was EUR 51.75)

From 2012 (included) to 2020 we estimate a price increasing of 27,5% (according to ANRE’s publication, the price increasing of 30% is considered until 2017/2018), constantly distributed during the analysed period ;

No external factors market considered which might affect the internal price energy

FJ025

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