Battery project at Fântânele-Vest
PPC Renewables Romania plans to install a 45.72 MW/91.44 MWh battery at the Fântânele-Vest wind farm, adding two hours of storage to the site’s generation. The battery will be integrated with the 262.5 MW Fântânele-Vest wind farm, which comprises 105 turbines. The storage asset is part of the wider 600 MW Fântânele-Cogealac complex.
The Fântânele-Cogealac complex was acquired by Greek utility PPC in 2024. The wider complex generates approximately 1.25 TWh annually.
Investment cost and EU funding share
The project has an estimated investment cost of €18.8 million, equivalent to approximately €411,000 per MW or €206 per kWh of storage capacity. The EU Modernisation Fund will contribute €1.55 million, covering around 8.3% of the total. PPC will finance the remaining €17.3 million.
Role in short-duration optimisation and market services
With an energy capacity of 91.44 MWh, the battery is not sized to shift a large share of the wind farm’s daily output. Its role is focused on short-duration optimisation, including reducing imbalance exposure and responding to forecast errors. It can also shift output between low- and high-price hours and provide ancillary services.
The investment economics are expected to depend on access to multiple revenue streams rather than a single market product. Day-ahead arbitrage alone may be insufficient during periods of compressed spreads, according to PPC’s stated approach. Additional sources include balancing services, intraday trading, congestion management and reduced curtailment.
PPC storage expansion across Romania
PPC has announced similar storage developments at the Corugea wind farm and the Colibași solar plant. The company said these projects indicate batteries are becoming a standard component of its Romanian renewable portfolio rather than isolated pilots.
PPC currently operates approximately 1.6 GW of renewable capacity in Romania and plans to reach 3.6 GW by the end of 2028 and 4.7 GW by 2030. That expansion is expected to increase portfolio-level forecasting and balancing requirements, supporting the value of distributed storage as generation grows.
The grant contribution is described as relatively modest, with PPC committing most of the capital itself. This structure means flexibility revenues and portfolio optimisation are intended to support investment alongside the EU contribution rather than relying primarily on heavy subsidy.
