Romania's Antibiotice Iași cuts electricity bill by 20% with own solar park

Romanian state-controlled pharmaceutical producer Antibiotice Iași (BVB: ATB) reduced its electricity expenses by 20% in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period last year, following the use of its own photovoltaic generation, according to the company's H1 financial report submitted to the Bucharest Stock Exchange and cited by Economedia.ro. The company said its combined expenses for electricity, natural gas and drinking water fell to RON 11.68 million in the first six months of 2026, from RON 12.52 million a year earlier. Electricity costs accounted for most of the reduction in utility expenses. The photovoltaic plants generated savings of approximately 20% of the electricity consumed during the period, equivalent to RON 1.2 million based on the average purchase price from suppliers, Antibiotice said. Antibiotice commissioned a 2.5 MW photovoltaic park in 2024 following an investment of RON 11.8 million, financed through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) and the company's own contribution. The installation covers about 25% of the operating electricity needs of the company's industrial platform in Iași. The pharmaceutical producer also reported that electricity expenses associated with its electric vehicles were RON 76,000 lower in the first half of 2026 than at the end of June 2025. Industrial companies and local authorities in Romania have increasingly invested in photovoltaic generation to reduce electricity costs and increase energy autonomy, supported in part by European and government financing programmes. Antibiotice Iași remains Romania's only pharmaceutical manufacturer controlled by the state, through the Ministry of Health.