"EBRD's mission is to foster the development of the private sector. In Romania, 83% of our investments were directed towards the private sector, well above the 76% average for private sector investments across all EBRD regions," said Victoria Zinchuk, EBRD's Director for Romania.
The Bank's collaboration with private companies, equity funds, banks, and local municipalities remained robust in 2024.
In the private sector, key transactions included a €40 million risk-sharing agreement with Banca Transilvania for Omnia Europe SA, the launch of a €10 million financing program for local suppliers of Profi Rom Food SRL, a €10 million equity investment in La Cocos, a capital investment in AROBS Transilvania Software SA, and various other financing deals involving loans and equity.
In the municipal sector, the EBRD contributed €75 million to regional projects. This included co-financing with the EU for water and wastewater investments in four counties (Bacău, Constanța, Iași, and Brăila), as well as energy efficiency projects for buildings in Craiova under the EBRD Green Cities program.
Romania's growing commitment to implementing EU green initiatives, such as Fit for 55 and REPowerEU—which aim to ensure that 38% of the country's energy consumption comes from renewable sources by 2030—has led to additional significant investments in 2024. "EBRD supports Romania in reaching these ambitious goals by financing viable green investments and assisting authorities with policies that encourage greater private sector involvement in the green energy sector," the Bank stated.
In 2024, EBRD financed nearly 1 GW of renewable energy capacity in Romania. These investments, totaling over €180 million from the Bank's own resources, also mobilized close to €1 billion in additional private and public funding.
Notable energy sector transactions included €46 million for the Urleasca Wind Farm, a stake acquisition in Premier Energy, and €15 million in financing for the renewable energy producer Photon Energy. EBRD also provided €32 million for the Vifor onshore wind project, allocated the equivalent of €100 million for upgrading electricity distribution networks, and granted a €12.2 million bridge loan to Danube Solar Five for the construction of photovoltaic plants in Dolj County. Additionally, EBRD contributed half of a €110 million financing package for solar projects in Iepurești and Ghimpați.
