Aukera reaches Financial Close on second phase of Gura Ialomitei BESS in Romania with €48.5 million IFC financing

Aukera, the pan-European battery storage and renewable energy platform backed by AtlasInvest, Reggeborgh and SFPIM (Belgium’s sovereign wealth fund), today announces Financial Close on a €48.5 million financing from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, for the second phase of the Gura Ialomitei Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in Romania. The package comprises €40 million of capex financing and an additional €8.5 million tranche related to VAT.

The financing will support construction of the remaining 100 MW / 200 MWh of capacity, completing Aukera’s flagship 250 MW / 500 MWh Gura Ialomitei project – expected to become Romania’s largest operational battery storage facility and one of the largest in Central and Eastern Europe.

Phase two is expected to enter commercial operation by early 2027.

Building on proven delivery

The financing builds on the successful delivery of Phase One – 150 MW / 300 MWh – which secured a €60 million debt facility from Kommunalkredit Austria AG in November 2025 and reached commercial operation in June 2026.

With two project financings now closed across both phases, involving two international financial institutions and over €100 million of debt financing, the combined project demonstrates Aukera’s ability to originate, finance, construct and operate large-scale energy infrastructure repeatedly and at pace.

Strengthening Romania’s energy infrastructure

As renewable generation continues to expand across Romania, large-scale battery storage is becoming critical infrastructure – providing the flexibility needed to balance supply and demand, support grid stability and improve the utilisation of existing transmission networks. Once complete, Gura Ialomitei BESS will support a more resilient electricity system while enabling greater integration of renewable energy across the Romanian grid.