Europe's Largest Solar Project Clears Final Hurdle

Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for IIR News Intelligence (Sugar Land, Texas)

Summary

Europe's largest planned solar project has cleared its final hurdle as heatwaves across the continent helped solar power set new records for generation.

The largest planned solar power project in Europe has been awarded its final permit in a record summer of heatwaves that has seen solar power break records. 

The Dama Solar project in Romania, being developed by Resolv Energy, will have a generating capacity of 1,044 megawatts (MW). Setup authorization has been granted by the Romanian Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE) to West Power Investments, a special purpose vehicle for the project owned by Resolv Energy. It clears the way for construction to begin on the project, which is located in north-west Arad County near the Hungarian border. According to Industrial Info Resources data there are 64 solar projects in Romania worth more than US$6.5 billion in investment. 

The Project

Last summer, the Dama Solar project was awarded a contract for difference (CfD) by the Romanian Ministry of Energy in the country's second CfD auction. The project has been guaranteed 100 million euro in funding by the European Investment Banks and is in line for a 107 million-euro loan from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group. Construction is expected to begin this summer with completion in late 2028. When commissioned it will generate enough power for approximately 280,000 homes or one million people and will be significantly larger than the Witznitz Solar Park near Leipzig in eastern Germany, which is currently Europe's largest operational photovoltaic plant with a capacity of 650 MW. Rezolv is planning to expand its current 2.3-gigawatt (GW) renewable portfolio in central and southeast Europe to 4-5 GW by 2030.

Record Summer for Solar

In 2025, the European Union (EU) added 67.2 GW of new solar PV capacity, marking a 1.4% year‑on‑year increase compared to the 66.2 GW installed in 2024, according to solar association SolarPower Europe. With a falloff in roof-top solar installations,  utility‑scale solar increasingly became the backbone of EU solar deployment, accounting for 54% of total EU solar additions, up from 45% in 2024 and 35% in 2023. 

In June, solar power generated 25% of EU power for the first time, a record 52 terawatt-hours (TWh), according to energy researcher Ember. This put it ahead of nuclear (21%), gas (15%), wind (14%), hydro (12%) and coal (8%). Solar has grown by more than 20% every year in the EU since 2021. "Solar's rise has been truly stratospheric, beating prediction after prediction," said Chris Rosslowe, senior analyst at Ember. "In just a few years solar has gone from a small player to an essential part of Europe's power system, as governments and citizens look for low-cost, quick-to-install domestic power sources." 

Romania's Energy Shift

In late 2024, Romania announced its first Energy Strategy in 17 years, placing a large emphasis on renewables and energy security. The Energy Strategy of Romania 2025-2035 calls for a large increase in installed wind and solar energy capacity to about 24 GW by 2035, up from a combined total of just over 10 GW today (7 GW solar and 3 GW wind). The strategy calls for the share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption of 41% by 2035 and 86% by 2050. 

Heatwaves Causing Trouble

The recurring heatwaves may have been good for solar power, but elsewhere they have caused havoc in the power sector, especially in countries like Romania and others nearby. In mid-August the country was forced to shut down the last working ⁠reactor at its only nuclear plant, Cernavoda, after drought caused the Danube river to fall to record lows. The other reactor was shut down in July. The drought has impacted nuclear power providers across Europe. In France, which relies on nuclear power for roughly 70% of its energy, there has been a shortfall in generation of around 20% associated with drought, record temperatures and even jellyfish. 

Key Takeaways

• Romania's Dama Solar project is on target to become the largest in Europe after receiving its final permit.
• It will have a generating capacity of 1,044 megawatts (MW), making it much larger that Europe's current No. 1, the 650 MW Witznitz Solar Park in Germany.
• Industrial Info Resources is tracking 64 solar projects in Romania worth more than US$6.5 billion in investment. 

About Industrial Info Resources
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, Industrial Info Resources is tracking over 250,000 current and future projects worth $30.2 Trillion (USD).