Photovoltaic or wind farms with a maximum area of 50 hectares will be allowed to be located on agricultural land in the countryside, and which will no longer have to be taken out of agricultural use, writes profit.ro. The measure was approved by a draft law adopted by the Senate and it still to be debated and adopted by the Chamber of Deputies.

As an exception to the legal provisions concerning agricultural land for arable use, pasture, vineyards and orchards, as well as those with land improvement works, located in the countryside, the following investment objectives specific to the production of electricity from renewable sources may be located on agricultural land located in the countryside, with a maximum area of 50 hectares: solar energy production capacities, wind energy, electricity storage units, transformer stations or other similar systems.

The draft provides that in such cases “the area of agricultural land located in the countryside is used in a dual system for both agricultural production and for the production of electricity from renewable sources, without the need for the set-aside procedure and eliminates the obligation to pay the tariff to the Land Improvement Fund”. The procedure for determining the areas, conditions for the establishment and dual use of agricultural land located in the countryside is approved by joint order of the Minister of Agriculture and the Minister of Energy.

Also, in the case of the construction of specific facilities for the production of electricity from renewable energy sources, “permanent or temporary set-aside may be made only in part for the areas of land affected by the renewable energy production or storage facility, while the rest of the free land remain in agricultural use”.