Romania has the largest solar potential in Southeast Europe, with studies showing it could use up to 18-20 gigawatts of solar energy, Energy Minister Sebastian Bourduja said on Sunday, according to Agerpres.

“Studies after studies prove that we can use up to 18, maybe 20 gigawatts of solar energy, and the whole sector has registered a huge growth in recent years,” said Sebastian Burduia, on the occasion of the signing of Romania’s accession to the International Solar Alliance.

He drew attention to the European funds allocated for the development of solar energy, and noted that there are more than 460 million euros under the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism.

Sebastian Burduja said the number of households installing solar panels had “exploded” in just two years. He noted that in January 2022 there were less than 20,000 households with solar panels, and now their number exceeds 100,000.

Last but not least, he mentioned the “Energy for Life” campaign aimed at more than 50,000 households without electricity.

The energy minister signed Romania’s accession to the International Solar Alliance on Sunday at the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. President Klaus Iohannis, who is participating in this conference from Saturday to Monday, also spoke at the event.