RenewAcad launches €10M renewable components plant in Petrila, Jiu Valley

RenewAcad (a brand belonging to Wind Power Energy) officially launched today, in Petrila – Hunedoara County, the project to establish an assembly plant for components of equipment in the renewable energy industry. The project will involve investments of around 10 million euros and benefits from European funding through the Just Transition Program.

The event in Petrila brought together representatives of local and central administration, industry partners and specialists in the field of renewable energy, providing a framework for discussion about the impact and benefits of this project for the region. Among the speakers were Niculaita Nicolae – Advisor to the Minister of Energy, Costel Avram – Public Administrator of Hunedoara County, Constantin Fulga – Prefect of Hunedoara, Jurca Vasile – Mayor of Petrila, Kelemen Alexandru-Mihai – Executive Director of the Association for Integrated Territorial Development of the Jiu Valley, Mircea Bitoiu – President of AIEE – Association of Energy and Electrical Engineers.

“The Petrila factory will be built on the former industrial platform of the Petrila Mine and will produce components for energy storage batteries, robots for cleaning photovoltaic panels and equipment for environmental monitoring, thus contributing to the development of the infrastructure necessary for Romania’s energy transition. This is clear proof that we can be part of the solution, that we can actively participate in building a cleaner and more sustainable future,” said Sebastian Enache, Managing Partner of Wind Power Energy, at the launch event.

“We want this factory to be the core of a wider industrial ecosystem. In this sense, we plan to build a 20MWh energy storage battery in the vicinity of the factory, using locally produced components. This project will represent an essential stage in closing the production and investment chain, demonstrating that we can develop a complete local industry, from the production of equipment to their use in integrated solutions for renewable energy,” Sebastian Enache added.

“This contract that Wind Power Energy signed is part of several investment contracts signed in the Jiu Valley (a traditional mining area in Romania), through the Jiu Valley Integrated Territorial Development Association and through the Just Transition Program. In fact, there are 27 contracts in the Jiu Valley alone and I believe that we are starting to go down a good path. I also believe that the investment is well placed because it also refers to our mining identity. We do not know what we will do in 10 years in the Jiu Valley, but we certainly know that we will always be miners and then it is important that the cultural and industrial heritage is preserved, regardless of whether it is Petrila, Lonea, Lupeni, Livezeni or Vulcan“, declared, in turn, Alexandru Kelemen, Executive Director of the Jiu Valley Integrated Territorial Development Association.

“For me, it is the most important moment because since 2016, when I took over my first term as mayor, I have been trying to bring investors to the city of Petrila. This moment has come today”, continued Jurca Vasile, Mayor of Petrila.

The investment in Petrila will generate over 50 jobs, helping socio-economically to the energy transition of the Jiu Valley, which is in a complex process of economic transformation. The future of the region depends on the implementation of sustainable initiatives, which will support both local economic development and the communities affected by changes in the energy sector.