Infrastructure: Brasov-Ghimbav International Airport management signs financing contract for first EU-funded project - photovoltaic park

  The management of the Brasov-Ghimbav International Airport recently signed the first financing contract for an investment to be carried out with non-reimbursable European funds - its own photovoltaic park, aimed at reducing dependence on energy purchased from the grid.The total value of the project is 31,831,095.66 lei including VAT, of which the non-reimbursable amount is 21,138,433 lei."Signing the financing contract is a great achievement and a source of pride for our team, as this is the first non-reimbursable funding we have accessed through a project call. (...) We are ready to get to work, begin the implementation phase and make the investments we have planned to increase the airport's energy independence and protect the environment," Brasov Airport General Director Stefan Micu said, according to a release issued on Thursday.According to the release, the project is being financed from the Modernisation Fund and represents state aid granted under the scheme supporting investments in new electricity generation capacities from renewable sources for the self-consumption of aerodromes, including energy storage systems."The investments provided for in the project will be supported from the own revenues of the Autonomous Administration Brasov-Ghimbav International Airport, with the non-reimbursable European funds to be granted based on reimbursement claims submitted by the beneficiary to the delegated body," the release also said.According to the documentation underpinning the project's approval, the photovoltaic park will include 5,432 panels to be installed in the immediate vicinity of the airport, with the system set to provide a maximum installed capacity of 3 MW, as well as a storage capacity of 6 MW.At present, the project is at the stage of preparing the tender specifications for the procurement of design services and construction works."A modern airport means a sustainable facility, with a considerably reduced carbon footprint, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. The implementation of this project brings benefits on all these fronts and places the Brasov-Ghimbav International Airport among the elite of European airports which comply with the European Green Deal. The construction of the photovoltaic park and electricity storage facility is a direct and necessary response to European directives," Brasov County Council President Adrian-Ioan Vestea also underscored, according to the same release