Rezolv Energy energises 192 MW VIFOR Phase 1 as Romanian wind buildout restarts

Rezolv Energy, backed by Actis and Mubadala, has energised the 192 MW first phase of the VIFOR Wind Farm in Romania’s Buzău County, bringing the country’s largest newly commissioned wind development in more than a decade onto the grid. Phase 1 comprises 30 Vestas V162 EnVentus turbines rated at 6.4 MW each, with 166-metre hub heights and 162-metre rotor diameters, while Rezolv plans to add another 42 turbines in Phase 2 and take the full project to approximately 461 MW during 2027.

The commissioning milestone matters because Romania experienced rapid wind development between roughly 2010 and 2015 before the market slowed substantially. Rezolv says the country currently has a little over 3 GW of installed wind capacity, while Romania’s National Energy and Climate Plan targets 7.3 GW by 2030. VIFOR alone would therefore represent meaningful incremental scale if both phases reach full operation as planned, particularly because corporate PPAs have been used alongside project debt to support construction.

Why is 192 MW of new wind capacity important in a country that already has more than 3 GW?

The significance lies in momentum rather than percentage share alone. Romania already built a substantial wind fleet during an earlier investment cycle, but new large-scale projects became relatively scarce after that initial boom, leaving the country with an ageing generation base and a much more ambitious 2030 renewable target.

Rezolv describes Phase 1 as the largest new wind project energised in Romania in more than ten years. That makes VIFOR a test of whether large-scale private wind investment can return sustainably under today’s financing, grid and corporate-power arrangements rather than relying on the policy framework that drove Romania’s first wind cycle.

The broader portfolio strengthens that interpretation. Rezolv is also developing the Dama Solar project in Romania and the 600 MW Dunarea East & West wind portfolio, while its 225 MW St. George solar project in Bulgaria entered operation earlier in 2026. The company is effectively building a regional generation platform rather than treating VIFOR as an isolated wind farm.

What do 72 Vestas turbines imply when both VIFOR phases are complete?

Phase 1 uses 30 turbines at 6.4 MW each, producing exactly 192 MW of nameplate capacity. Phase 2 is expected to add 42 turbines of the same 6.4 MW model, equivalent to approximately 268.8 MW and rounded by Rezolv to 269 MW. Together, the 72 machines produce about 460.8 MW, which explains the project’s stated 461 MW headline capacity.

Using the same turbine platform across both phases can reduce engineering and maintenance complexity. Spare parts, technician training, operating procedures and turbine-performance data become more standardised than they would be across a mixed fleet.

The equipment scale also demonstrates how modern onshore wind economics have changed. Larger turbines allow developers to install substantial capacity with fewer machines than earlier-generation projects, potentially reducing the amount of civil infrastructure and electrical equipment required per MW even though each individual turbine becomes more technically demanding to transport and erect.

How much financing sits behind the full VIFOR buildout?

Rezolv and its partners secured financing facilities of up to €291 million for Phase 1 and later added up to €331 million for Phase 2. Taken together, those facilities total up to approximately €622 million, although that figure represents financing capacity rather than a formally disclosed total construction cost for the entire wind farm.

The lender group includes major commercial banks and development-finance institutions such as Erste Group, UniCredit, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the International Finance Corporation. Phase 2 brought additional support from institutions including Intesa Sanpaolo, OTP Bank and Raiffeisenlandesbank Niederösterreich-Wien.

That mix is significant because Eastern European renewable projects must attract institutional capital at a scale capable of competing with more established Western European markets. VIFOR demonstrates that large Romanian projects can secure international debt when developers combine grid access, contracted revenue and credible construction partners.

Why have corporate PPAs been central to VIFOR’s financing model?

Phase 1 financing was supported by five commercial power purchase agreements, helping lenders underwrite revenue without relying entirely on future merchant electricity prices. Rezolv has subsequently signed cross-border or virtual PPAs linked to VIFOR with customers including Deutsche Telekom group companies, A2A and Etem Gestamp.

These contracts are strategically important because Central and Eastern European corporations increasingly want renewable electricity while domestic supply can be constrained by limited availability of new wind projects. Cross-border structures allow VIFOR’s generation to support corporate decarbonisation outside Romania as well as inside the domestic market.

For Rezolv, PPAs reduce revenue volatility and improve project bankability. For customers, the agreements can provide greater visibility over renewable procurement and electricity exposure over periods extending seven, 10 or 12 years depending on the contract.

Why is grid connection just as important as turbine construction?

A wind project only creates commercial value once electricity can move from turbines into the transmission system. VIFOR includes high-voltage infrastructure designed around Romania’s grid, and the project site was selected partly because nearby grid capacity could support large-scale generation.

This becomes increasingly important as renewable penetration rises. Romania needs new wind and solar capacity, but it also needs substations, transformers and transmission upgrades capable of handling that electricity without creating congestion.

Rezolv’s use of 400 kV infrastructure reflects the scale of the project. VIFOR is being built as utility-scale power infrastructure capable of serving large corporate and regional electricity markets rather than as a small local generation asset.

What does Phase 1 energisation change for the remaining 269 MW?

The most important change is that VIFOR is no longer solely a construction story. Thirty turbines are now energised, giving Rezolv operating data, grid experience and a functioning asset base while Phase 2 continues.

Phase 2 still carries construction and commissioning risk, and the current company release says completion is expected during 2027 rather than presenting the remaining 269 MW as already operational. That distinction matters because the project’s full 461 MW value can only be realised once all additional turbines and associated grid systems successfully enter service.

The first 192 MW nevertheless represents an important proof point. Romania has moved from discussing another large wind-development cycle to actually receiving its largest newly energised project in more than a decade, while financing, PPAs and construction are already in place for the next phase.