ORLEN Group has completed the expansion of its photovoltaic farm in Kleczew. The largest PV installation in the company’s portfolio, and one of the biggest facilities of its kind in Central and Eastern Europe, has reached 250 MW of capacity. Over the course of a year, the farm will generate enough electricity to power up to 100,000 households. The installation has obtained a licence from Poland’s Energy Regulatory Office (URE) to produce electricity.
“We are consistently carrying out the largest investment programme in the history of Poland’s energy sector, which we have turned into a vast construction site. This is how the energy of tomorrow is being created — energy that means independence, energy security and the lowest possible electricity prices for Poles. The Kleczew project is one of the largest undertakings of its kind in Central and Eastern Europe. It demonstrates both the scale and pace of the transformation we are implementing. Our investments are changing Poland’s energy mix and setting the direction for the development of modern energy,” said Ireneusz Fąfara, President of the Management Board of ORLEN.
The Kleczew Solar & Wind project, managed by Energa Wytwarzanie, was developed on reclaimed post-mining land formerly used for open-pit lignite extraction in Wielkopolska. It comprises 250 MW of photovoltaic capacity and 19.2 MW of wind power, making it one of the largest hybrid renewable energy projects in the region. Combining solar and wind energy allows the infrastructure to be used more efficiently and improves the stability of electricity generation under changing weather conditions. The installation has also been prepared for further expansion, with grid connection conditions allowing its capacity to be increased to around 334 MW.
ORLEN Group is developing its renewable energy portfolio in line with a strategy that assumes more than 12 GW of installed capacity by 2035. This includes wind, photovoltaic, biogas and biomethane projects. The Baltic Power offshore wind farm is scheduled to be launched later this year, followed by further offshore projects — Baltic East and Baltic West.
Under the strategy, ORLEN’s renewable energy portfolio will be complemented by investments in nuclear energy by 2035, including small modular reactors, which are expected to strengthen the stability of Poland’s power system. The development of renewable energy sources is also supported by the modernisation of grid infrastructure. Over the past year, 62,000 new customers and 1 GW of renewable energy installations were connected to the grid, while connection conditions issued for a further 2.5 GW of installations provide a basis for the continued growth of zero-emission energy sources.
Source: ceo.com.pl
