Tuesday, 21 October 2025
NEPI Rockcastle, Central and Eastern Europe’s leading retail real estate investor and operator, has inaugurated Romania’s largest photovoltaic power plant dedicated to commercial infrastructure. The new facility, located in Chișineu-Criș in western Romania, marks a major step in the company’s €100 million renewable energy programme across the region.
The solar plant, developed on a greenfield site, is designed to generate over 70,000 MWh of renewable electricity per year — enough to power roughly 29,000 homes and prevent around 21,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually. The project brings NEPI Rockcastle’s renewable energy capacity to 159 MW and represents the most significant investment of its kind in Romania’s retail and logistics real estate sector.
With operations spanning eight countries and more than 60 properties valued at over €8 billion, NEPI Rockcastle expects its renewable power generation to meet about 45% of its total electricity needs once all planned installations are complete. This would make the company the largest producer of green electricity within the retail property industry in Central and Eastern Europe.
“We took the decision at the height of the energy crisis in 2022 to invest in our renewable energy programme, and it has proven both commercially sound and environmentally impactful,” said Marek Noetzel, Chief Operating Officer at NEPI Rockcastle. “We are helping our retail partners meet their sustainability targets while reinforcing our own commitment to decarbonisation and long-term energy efficiency.”
The company’s renewable rollout is progressing in three phases, combining rooftop and parking canopy solar systems with larger-scale photovoltaic projects. A second major solar development in Romania’s Prahova region is scheduled to begin construction in early 2026, which will expand total capacity to approximately 212 MW.
Romania, which represents around 35% of NEPI Rockcastle’s portfolio value, already sources nearly half of its electricity from renewables — primarily hydro power. However, solar energy still accounts for a relatively small share of the mix, though production has surged more than 60% in the first half of 2024, according to the Romanian Photovoltaic Industry Association. NEPI Rockcastle’s projects are expected to play a significant role in accelerating this growth over the next two years.
Poland, the company’s second-largest market, has also seen a turning point, with renewables surpassing coal in the national energy mix for the first time in 2025, according to the Financial Times. NEPI Rockcastle plans to extend its renewable energy investment strategy there, targeting a long-term goal of fully covering its power demand from in-house sources.
“Investing in renewable infrastructure enhances both sustainability and operational resilience,” Noetzel added. “Our developments in Romania demonstrate how disciplined financial management and responsible growth can go hand in hand, creating value for tenants, investors, and the communities where we operate.”
NEPI Rockcastle’s strategy aligns with the broader energy transition across Central and Eastern Europe, positioning the retail property sector as a key participant in achieving regional climate and energy efficiency goals.
