Czech company launches huge wind farm in Romania, targets Europe's top tier

Czech company Rezolv Energy officially launched the first phase of the VIFOR wind farm in Romania last week. The 192 MW of installed capacity is now supplying electricity to the grid, and the company is already considering adding battery storage and solar panels to the site.

Construction of the second phase, with a capacity of 269 MW, is still underway. Once completed in summer 2027, the complex will have a total installed capacity of 461 MW, making it the third-largest onshore wind farm in the European Union.

Hybridisation as a response to the energy crisis

Chief Executive Alastair Hammond told Reuters that the company plans to build large-scale battery storage at VIFOR.

“We have already taken the first step towards planning the installation of a large battery so that we can hybridise this wind farm,” Hammond said. The company is also considering adding solar panels to the site, creating a combined wind, solar and storage facility.

The decision comes as Romania faces an energy crisis. The country's only operational nuclear power plant was shut down over the summer because of low water levels on the Danube, taking a fifth of total generation capacity offline. In August, the government declared an energy emergency and urged consumers to reduce consumption during peak hours.

“The country still needs more storage and flexible capacity to ensure secure electricity supplies,” said Alina Arsani of the Energy Policy Group think tank.

Technology and financing

The first phase consists of 30 V162 EnVentus turbines from Danish manufacturer Vestas, each with a capacity of 6.4 MW. One turbine can supply electricity to approximately 1,000 households. The turbines have a hub height of 166 metres and a rotor diameter of 162 metres, making them the largest turbines installed in Romania.

The project is financed through debt: the first phase was backed by a loan of 291 million euros, while Rezolv secured an additional 331 million euros for the second phase in summer 2025.

Electricity sales are secured through long-term PPAs with corporate buyers.

“For the first phase of the VIFOR project, we signed five PPAs. Three were concluded with Deutsche Telekom Group, specifically T-Mobile Czech Republic, Slovak Telekom and CE Colo, which together will offtake 100 GWh of energy annually for 12 years. We also signed PPAs with Bekaert for 100 GWh annually for 10 years and with Italian energy company A2A for 150 GWh annually for seven years,” Hammond told the oEnergetice website.

Wider context of Romania's energy sector

VIFOR will help Romania meet its target of increasing installed wind capacity from the current 3 GW to 7.3 GW by 2030. Once completed, the complex will be able to supply electricity to more than 270,000 households.

Romania has added more than 1.5 GW of renewable energy capacity and 1 GW of storage capacity this year. Even so, it remains dependent on electricity imports to help balance fluctuations in generation from intermittent sources.