Vienna Energy has a portfolio of 100 MW of solar projects in Romania under construction in 2026, with another 200 MW in photovoltaic projects to be developed in the period 2027–2029. “We are analyzing ready-to-build or operating wind projects, in a first stage within the limit of 50 MW, to balance the portfolio and optimize the production profile. In the hydro area, we have been operating a portfolio of 28 microhydropower plants since 2008, totaling 21 MW. A major strategic pillar is the development of storage capacities. We have BESS projects totaling 600 MWh in preparation”, Dan Prodan, Managing Director, Vienna Energy, told us in an exclusive interview offered to Energynomics.
How do you see the evolution of the Romanian energy market as a whole in 2026?
The Romanian energy market is entering a real maturation phase. After years marked by administrative interventions, caps, high volatility on the balancing market and significant costs generated by imbalances between production and consumption, 2026 must be the year of consolidating market mechanisms and returning to predictability.
The experience of recent years has clearly demonstrated that the accelerated development of renewables, without proportional investments in the network, system services and storage capacities, generates structural pressures. Volatility on the intraday market and on the balancing market is not an accident, but a signal that the system needs to be recalibrated.
Romania is authorizing and developing new capacities at a sustained pace. However, the challenge is no longer just the installation of MW, but their efficient and safe integration into the system. Without modern networks, without digitalization, without advanced dispatching and without solid dispatchable capacities – hydro, pumped storage, storage – capacity growth can amplify imbalances.
On the other hand, we see an important change on the demand side. The industry is increasingly demanding certified green energy, contractual stability and long-term partnerships. Bilateral contracts and integrated production-storage-supply solutions will become structural elements of the market.
I believe that 2026 will mark the transition from the “capacity boom” stage to the “system efficiency” stage. The emphasis will shift from volume to quality, from installation to optimization, from individual project to integrated energy architecture.
Romania has the resources, it has hydro, solar and wind potential, it has access to European financing and it has serious investors. What is essential now is strategic coherence. Energy should no longer be seen only as a sector, but as a vector of economic and industrial competitiveness.
If we manage to correlate investments in production with those in the network, storage and flexibility, Romania can become not only a major producer of green energy, but a regional pole of energy stability. And energy stability means, ultimately, economic competitiveness and strategic security.
What will be the main growth directions of Vienna Energy in the coming period, both in Romania and regionally?
Vienna Energy, part of Wien Energie GmbH Austria, is strengthening its position in Romania through an integrated strategy that combines renewable energy production, storage and direct supply to the final industrial customer.
Our investment strategy is balanced and disciplined, built on a medium and long-term horizon. Unlike aggressive approaches oriented exclusively to volume, we rely on stability, predictability and technological integration, reflecting our profile as a strategic investor, with public capital and a long-term vision.
We are present in over eight regional markets – Romania and Austria, followed by Hungary, Bosnia & Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Republika Srpska, Serbia, the Czech Republic and Germany. Wien Energie is fully owned by Wiener Stadtwerke GmbH, a municipal company controlled by the City of Vienna, which gives the group institutional stability and long-term strategic orientation.
In Austria, the consolidation of the position was accelerated by the acquisition of ImWind Group. Through this transaction, Wien Energie took over 52 wind turbines in 14 parks and 4 operational photovoltaic plants, to which is added a pipeline of over 335 MW under development. After the merger, the combined portfolio reaches approximately 800 MW of renewable capacity in Austria, including solar, wind and hydro.
In Romania, we have 100 MW under construction in 2026, and an additional portfolio of 200 MW of photovoltaic projects is scheduled for construction in the period 2027–2029. We are analyzing ready-to-build or operational wind projects, in a first phase within the limit of 50 MW, in order to balance the portfolio and optimize the production profile.
In the hydro area, we have been operating a portfolio of 28 micro-hydropower plants since 2008, totaling 21 MW. Hydropower represents stability, flexibility and real balancing capacity for us.
A major strategic pillar is the development of storage capacities. We have BESS projects totaling 600 MWh in preparation, and their integration into new photovoltaic projects will allow for the optimization of production and the reduction of pressure on the market during peak hours.
Storage is essential in the maturation of the energy market. In the absence of sufficient on-grid production capacities and in the context of the variability of renewables, it becomes the main mechanism for stabilizing the system and reducing price volatility, especially in periods when Romania still depends on imports.
With almost 20 years of experience in operating dispatchable capacities, through two dispatch centers operating 24/7, we will integrate these structures into a modern central dispatch center, capable of managing production, storage and active participation in balancing markets in real time.
Investments are fully supported by own funds, through successive capital increases, with the share capital set to increase from RON 300 million to approximately RON 500 million by the end of 2026.
What were the main results and transactions of 2025? What are the targets for 2026?
2025 was a year of operational consolidation. We signed a major contract for the construction of a 45 MWp photovoltaic park, worth EUR 25.5 million, following a transparent selection process. We are in the final evaluation for a similar contract and have two additional parks of 2.3 MW and 5 MW under construction.
We contracted approximately EUR 6 million through the Modernization Fund, optimizing the financial structure of the projects. In parallel, we doubled our team and invested in digitalization and compliance with NIS/NIS2 requirements.
From April 2026, we will supply green energy directly to the final industrial customer, developing medium and long-term partnerships with associated guarantees of origin.
How do you see the future of storage in 2026?
Storage is no longer an option, but a structural necessity of the energy system. The integration of BESS in hybrid parks increases asset efficiency and reduces exposure to volatility.
In parallel, pumped storage hydroelectric plants remain the strategic long-term solution. With a lifetime of over 50 years, high storage capacity, fast start-up and fine frequency control, they offer real systemic stability and support the accelerated integration of renewables.
What are the main challenges for investors?
Legislative and fiscal predictability is fundamental for long-term investments. Excessive bureaucracy, especially in the development of new projects, prolongs the authorization process to over two years from idea to construction permit.
Public discourse focuses almost exclusively on photovoltaics and wind, but hydropower remains essential for the flexibility of the energy system. Romania has an untapped hydro potential of at least 1,000 MW. If approximately 30% of this capacity is usable as a reserve, then 1,000 MW of hydro can support the integration of approximately 7,500 MW of photovoltaics.
Hydro is not just production, it is balance.
What were the biggest challenges when taking over your mandate at Vienna Energy?
I took over the mandate with the company’s entry into the Romanian market in 2008. In the almost 18 years, the company has undergone major transformations.
We have integrated assets and their related teams, implemented modern technical and operational control systems and aligned local governance with the group’s standards.
We have gone through difficult times: lack of liquidity on the green certificate market, tax on special constructions, unitary regulated prices without technological differentiation, high hydro-specific costs, fiscal unpredictability and excessive bureaucracy.
In parallel, we have built a solid team, including through collaboration with the Politehnica University of Bucharest, attracting young specialists from their masters period.
