The Ministry of Agriculture and AFIR have opened the session for the Energy Scheme, through which companies in agriculture and the food industry can install solar capacities for self-consumption with full non-reimbursable funding. The session closed on August 14, 2026.
The opening announcement was made on June 9, 2026, and the submission period took place between June 15 and August 14, 2026. The funding comes from the Modernization Fund, not from the PAC Strategic Plan, which explains the different rules compared to the rest of the AFIR interventions.
The total budget is 265 million euros, divided into two components: 145 million for capacities up to 1 MW and 120 million for capacities over 1 MW. It is one of the largest renewable energy allocations intended directly for companies in Romania.
The funding is 100% non-reimbursable, capped at 650,000 euros per MW for capacities up to 1 MW and at 550,000 euros per MW for larger ones. No co-financing is required, which makes the scheme exceptionally attractive for farms and factories with high energy consumption.
Eligible entities were enterprises in the agricultural sector or the food industry registered with the Trade Register, as well as land improvement organizations and federations. The essential condition is self-consumption: the installed capacity must serve the entity's own activity, not the sale of energy.
Selection was carried out through a competitive bidding procedure, a mechanism different from the classic scoring grid. Essentially, projects competed on cost efficiency per unit of installed capacity, which advantaged companies with well-negotiated technical offers.
For a medium-sized farm or a processing plant, the energy bill has become one of the most volatile cost components in recent years. Installing a photovoltaic capacity for self-consumption, fully funded by non-reimbursable funds, practically eliminates this uncertainty for the next twenty years, with an initial cost borne by the company close to zero.
The competitive bidding procedure is worth understanding because it is different from everything related to classic project evaluation. Instead of scores based on qualitative criteria, projects compete on cost efficiency per unit of installed capacity. The practical consequence is that prior negotiation with equipment suppliers becomes decisive for selection chances, even more so than the drafting of the file.
What you need to know
- Budget: 265 million EUR, of which 145 million for capacities under 1 MW
- Funding: 100% non-reimbursable, cap of 650,000 EUR/MW under 1 MW, 550,000 EUR/MW over 1 MW
- Eligible: enterprises in agriculture or the food industry, land improvement organizations
- Period: June 15 - August 14, 2026. Session closed
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