A $21.5 million investment will partially power the steelmaking facility in Kehlerash with clean energy.
International pipe company Tenaris has inaugurated its first solar energy park in Romania, with a capacity of 20 MW. The new facility will supply electricity to a steel mill in the town of Quelerasi, utilizing renewable energy through photovoltaic panels, according to a press release.
The total investment in the project amounted to $21.5 million, of which 70% was funded by Tenaris and another 30% by the European Union as part of the Recovery and Sustainability Plan, which supports the development of green energy across Europe.
The opening ceremony was attended by representatives of the Romanian government, in particular the State Secretaries of the Ministry of Energy and Environment, the Mayor of Quelerasi Marius Dulce, representatives of the energy regulator, the Italian Embassy, as well as the company’s key partners and customers.
Mihaela Popescu, President of Tenaris in Eastern Europe, North Sea Region and Southern Sahara, emphasized the strategic importance of this step.
“This project will allow us to reduce our indirect emissions and support our customers in their own decarbonization efforts. We are committed to reducing our environmental footprint,” she noted.
The energy park is part of Tenaris’ global strategy to decarbonize production. The company has already implemented similar projects in Italy and China, and is also building two wind farms in Argentina.
As GMK Center reported, Tenaris has cut its 2024 pipe sales by 5% year-on-year – to 2023, from 4.14 million tons to 3.93 million tons. During the year, seamless pipe shipments to customers totaled 3.08 million tons, down 4% y/y, and welded pipe shipments totaled 852,000 tons (-11% y/y).
