Aukera Romania selected Romania as one of its five core markets due to its scale potential and long-term attractiveness, positioning it alongside the UK, Germany, Italy and Belgium, said Cătălin Breban, cofounder of the company. Aukera plans to place two additional projects into construction this year, with more expected next year in the local market.
“Romania was definitely ticking all the boxes and I was very happy to build something in my home country,” Breban said at the “International Approach London” conference, organized by Energynomics in London, noting that five years after entry the company has established a substantial renewable energy footprint.
Aukera is currently developing what could become the largest standalone battery storage project in Romania, a 250 MW facility at Gura Ialomiței, with additional battery projects in the pipeline. The company is also active in wind and solar, with a 3 GW pipeline in Romania that is either ready to build or close to construction. Breban emphasized that Aukera’s competitive edge in battery storage stems from its UK experience, where its team has been developing battery projects for the past decade. The UK was an early mover in storage, while most continental European markets began scaling battery projects only in the last one to two years. Last year, Aukera reached financial close on what Breban described as a landmark battery financing in Romania.
“I would say that probably two years ago what we’ve done in Romania wouldn’t have been possible even in Germany or other countries. I think we brought a financing innovation to Romania. It was a first-of-a-kind type of financing and we’re very proud of it,” he said. The company plans to place two additional projects into construction this year, with more expected next year. Under Romania’s Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme, Aukera has secured three wind projects totaling 150 MW that are now ready to build. The solar segment, however, has proven more competitive.
Breban stressed that Romania should approach the energy transition as a long-term process rather than a short sprint.
“Overall we’ve been very, very happy with our investment in Romania. It’s a core country for us,” he said, adding that Aukera continues to expand across Europe, including new CfD success in the UK and ongoing projects in Belgium, Germany and Italy. Looking ahead, Breban noted that Europe is lagging the United States by roughly four years in data center development, but signs of acceleration are emerging in Western Europe, a trend that could further drive demand for renewable energy and storage capacity.
The conference “International Approach London” was organized by Energynomics, with the support of the Embassy of Romania to the UK and the British Embassy in Romania, together with our partners: AJ BRAND, Electrica, Monsson, MyEnerji, Nofar Energy, Waldevar.