DLA Piper advises Virya Energy on launch of 2 GW renewable platform

Global law firm DLA Piper has advised the Belgian headquartered renewal energy firm Virya Energy on the establishment of Virya Renewables Poland, its equity financing from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and on the acquisition of a renewable energy project portfolio from Optima Wind and its further development.

The equity investment in the newly established platform will focus on the development, construction and operation of large-scale renewable energy projects, including photovoltaic (PV) farms, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and onshore wind farms.

A key element of Virya Energy's portfolio is the Sidłowo project (with a planned capacity of up to 722 MWp), which is expected to become the largest PV farm in Poland. The initial portfolio is anticipated to generate approximately 666 GWh of clean energy annually, supplying the equivalent of around 400,000 households and reducing CO₂ emissions by almost 500,000 tons per year.

The cross practice and multijurisdictional DLA Piper team team, spanning Poland, Belgium, the UK and Hungary, was led by Country Managing Partner Jacek Giziński. He was supported by Michael Heene (partner, Corporate), Oskar Waluśkiewicz (partner, Litigation & Regulatory) and Karen Young (partner, Finance).

“Virya Energy's landmark investment significantly strengthens the renewable energy sector in Poland. Coupled with the establishment of Virya Renewables Poland and the development of the Sidłowo project, it creates a scalable platform for long-term growth and underscore the strategic importance of international capital in accelerating the country’s energy transition,” said Jacek Giziński.

The full DLA Piper team included:

Michał Orzechowski (counsel, Litigation & Regulatory), Rafał Dostatni (counsel, Tax), Piotr Czulak (counsel, IPT) Hannah de Schrijver and Florian Veys (both lawyers, Corporate), Emilia Kalecka (senior associate, Employment), Bartłomiej Grela (senior associate, Finance), Maciej Rafałowski and Anna Bodzioch (both senior associates, Real Estate), Monika Dmochowska and Julia Rożankowska (both associates, Real Estate), Urszula Grębowska (associate, Litigation & Regulatory), Karol Wasyluk and Paweł Szostek (both associates, Litigation & Regulatory), Zofia Waszczykowska (associate, Corporate), Karol Kuterek (associate, IPT), Krzysztof Stefanowicz (associate, Finance), Paweł Korniluk (associate, Tax), Marcelina Dembińska (junior associate, Litigation & Regulatory), Artur Hammermeister (junior associate, Corporate), and Franciszek Ignacy Fortuna (junior associate, IPT).