The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is financing a €331 million expansion of the Vifor onshore wind farm in Romania, which includes a €44 million loan from the bank. This project aims to add 269 megawatts (MW) to the existing capacity, bringing the total capacity of the wind farm to 461 MW upon completion.
Construction is currently underway on the initial 192 MW phase, backed by a previous €32 million loan from the EBRD, with completion expected in early 2026. Once fully operational, the Vifor wind farm is projected to generate approximately 1.2 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity annually, resulting in a reduction of over 500,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions each year.
This expansion represents the first EBRD project financed under Romania’s new contract-for-difference (CfD) scheme, designed to support 5 gigawatts (GW) of wind and solar capacity. The scheme, developed with EBRD assistance, aims to stimulate private investment in renewable energy. The first auction, completed in December 2024, successfully allocated 1.5 GW of renewable capacity, which includes 1 GW from wind farms and 0.5 GW from solar projects. The Vifor extension secured a 240 MW CfD contract during this auction.
Victoria Zinchuk, EBRD Director for Romania, emphasized the project’s role in bolstering Romania’s renewable energy capacity and aiding in the country’s alignment with European Union energy initiatives such as Fit for 55 and REPowerEU. Grzegorz Zielinski, EBRD Director and Head of Energy Europe, highlighted how the project exemplifies the impact of targeted policy support in mobilizing substantial private investment in renewable energy.
Developed by Rezolv Energy, a renewable energy platform backed by Actis, a prominent global investor in sustainable infrastructure, the Vifor project is part of the EBRD’s broader efforts in Romania. The bank has committed nearly €12 billion across 569 projects, focusing on advancing the transition to a green economy in Romania and its other operational regions. This wind farm expansion not only supports Romania’s decarbonization ambitions but also enhances market liquidity by selling a considerable portion of its generated power on the domestic electricity market.
