Energa Operator,, a member of the ORLEN Group, has secured over PLN 7.5 billion from the National Recovery Plan for the company’s largest ever modernisation and digitalisation programme of the power network in northern and central Poland. The modernisation and construction of a total of 21,000 kilometres of network will enhance the country’s energy security and ultimately lead to lower energy prices for end users. This will be possible in part due to the planned connection of as many as 9 GW of renewable energy sources with low variable production costs, together with energy storage facilities. The programme will also enable the connection of 200,000 new prosumers to the network. The total value of the programme up to 2035 is PLN 40 billion.
The investment programme of Energa Operator presumes the connection of new renewable energy sources to the network, along with energy storage facilities, which will stabilise the operation of the system and reduce dependence on weather conditions. According to the new strategy, ORLEN Group’s energy storage facilities will achieve a target capacity of 1.4 GW. The modernisation programme will increase network reliability for 3.5 million customers and enable better use of renewable energy, without being burdened with the variable costs of fossil fuels and regulatory costs associated with emissions.
“We are starting a very ambitious project, which will be a real support for Polish economic development and will significantly strengthen the country’s energy security. Northern Poland will play an increasingly important role in the energy transformation. Here lie our terrestrial renewable energy sources, and four offshore wind farms and energy storage facilities will also be established here, written into our strategy. This system will be supported by two emerging gas and steam power plants, and two more we plan to create in Gdańsk and Grudziądz. The network modernisation programme is awaited by the residents of the region and the business sector, as it will increase access to clean and attractively priced energy. Its implementation will be carried out by the Energa Group, which plays a key role in the strategic transformation of Polish energy,” said Ireneusz Fąfara, President of the ORLEN Management Board.
The programme includes, among other things, the construction of over 11,000 kilometres of new power lines and 7,000 kilometres of cable lines and the modernisation of nearly 10,000 kilometres of existing lines. As part of the programme, it is planned to connect approximately 350,000 new electricity users and 1,600 public charging stations, including along the A1 and S7 routes. It also includes about 1,000 technologically advanced transformers and voltage level control elements, improving the network’s ability to distribute energy from renewable sources. Intelligent distribution networks will allow, among other things, for the expansion of district heating based on electricity.
The expansion and modernisation of the network will also increase the investment attractiveness of economic zones in Pruszcz Gdański, Słupsk and Koszalin and prepare them to accept energy-intensive businesses. It will also support the development of seaports, including gas and fuel terminals, electromobility and the widespread electrification of public transport.
“Pomerania is becoming an important place on Poland’s energy map, an attractive location that is increasingly being spotted by serious investors. Over 50% of the energy we produce comes from renewable sources, and the development of the RES portfolio is a priority for us. For this energy circulation to function, a smoothly operating, intelligent distribution network is also needed. Therefore, we are preparing for network modernisation and expansion on an unprecedented scale, and the funds that we have managed to raise from the National Recovery Plan provide almost 20% funding for the entire 10-year development plan,” says Sławomir Staszak, President of Energa SA’s Management Board.
Currently, 9.6 GW of renewable sources are connected to the Energa Operator network, which is one-third of all renewable capacities in Poland. As part of the implementation of the investment programme, this level will increase to almost 19 GW, and the planned number of prosumers will increase from 300 to 500 thousand.
“For years, Energa Operator has been the most ‘green’ distribution system operator. Today, about 60% of the electricity used in our area comes from renewable energy sources, so we are one of the European leaders in energy transformation among distributors. Thanks to modern technical solutions, funded in part from the National Recovery Plan, we will provide investors, companies and residents with greater comfort, reliability of energy supply and the development of logistics centres, data processing centres, installations necessary for high-speed railways, and the development of high-power electric vehicle charging stations,” says Robert Świerzyński, President of Energa Operator’s Management Board.
Energa Operator has acquired funds from the RRF in the form of a low-interest loan from the BGK. ORLEN had also previously obtained PLN 3.5 billion in preferential financing for the network modernisation programme from the European Investment Bank.
“Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego is an institution on a mission for the socio-economic development of Poland, so we are present wherever key investments for our country are implemented. Today’s loan agreement, although concluded for the development and modernisation of transmission and distribution infrastructure, has a much larger impact. These are investments that condition, among other things, the expansion of the distributed energy system – RES (renewable energy sources) and energy storage facilities. It is worth emphasising that the preferential financing of network infrastructure will largely enable the foundation for further decarbonisation of the Polish economy to be created. These are actions that directly translate into the security and energy transformation of the country,” says Mirosław Czekaj, President of BGK.
Source: https://managerplus.pl/energa-operator-pozyskala-75-mld-zl-z-kpo-na-modernizacje-i-cyfryzacje-sieci-40603
