ORLEN Wind 3, a subsidiary of the ORLEN Group, has signed a preliminary agreement with EDP Renewables Polska to acquire two photovoltaic farms located in the Lubuskie and Greater Poland regions with a total capacity of 280 MWp, as well as a wind farm with a capacity of 26 MW, located in the Lodz region. The value of the agreement is approximately PLN 1.15 billion. This is one of the largest transactions in the domestic RES (renewable energy sources) market in recent years in terms of installed capacity. Upon finalizing the purchase, ORLEN Group’s power generating capacity from renewables will increase by almost 30 percent. The farms acquired by the conglomerate are among the most modern units and will generate about 400 GWh of energy annually, which is the equivalent of the consumption of nearly 182,000 households.
“We have declared acceleration and we are keeping our word. The agreement we have signed will allow us to increase our RES portfolio by more than 300 MW. The new capacities account for as much as a third of what ORLEN has built in renewable energy over the past few years. However, not only the scale is important to us, but also the economic calculation, which in the case of this transaction is beneficial to us and allows us to realistically build the value of the corporation. We want to be a key player in the energy transition in Central and Eastern Europe, so we don’t stop and we carefully analyze the next attractive projects appearing on the RES market to fully utilize all business opportunities,” says Ireneusz Fąfara, President of the Management Board of ORLEN.
The agreement covers the purchase of two photovoltaic farms. The first one is located in Chotków, within the Żagań County in the Lubuskie Province. It was launched in January this year. More than 61,000 photovoltaic panels with a total capacity of 40 MWp have been installed on a 45-hectare area. The installation is designed in such a way as to reduce its environmental impact. Raising the farm fence to an appropriate height allows small animals to move freely without interfering with their natural migration routes.
The second farm is located on the reclaimed land of a former open-pit lignite mine in the Przykona commune, in the Greater Poland Province. ORLEN Group already has photovoltaic and wind installations nearby with a total capacity of about 57 MW, and more, with a capacity of approximately 68 MW, are under construction. The acquired photovoltaic farm has a capacity of 200 MWp and is currently being expanded by another 40 MWp. The completion of the works is planned for the end of this year. Once the additional capacity is commissioned, it will be the largest photovoltaic farm in Poland, and the ORLEN Group will be its only owner.
As part of the signed agreement, the corporation also acquires the onshore wind farm “Warta”, which was established in May of last year in the Lodz region, west of Sieradz. The farm’s capacity is 26 MW and it consists of 13 turbines. The area where the farm is located is characterized by high wind intensity, guaranteeing a high degree of utilization of the installed capacity.
“This transaction is already the second one we have carried out with ORLEN. It emphasizes the quality of our assets and the durability of their rotation strategy. We will continue our commitment to further activities in Poland. As one of the largest foreign investors in the country, with over 1 GW of capacity already developed and installed, which we will be increasing in the coming months, including the first hybrid wind-solar park in the country, we still see Poland as a key market for EDP,” emphasizes Duarte Bello, COO of EDP Renewables Europe.
By the end of 2030, the ORLEN Group aims to reach a level of 9 GW of installed capacity in renewable energy sources. In addition to onshore wind and photovoltaic farms, the corporation is also actively developing offshore wind energy. In the final preparations for installation work at sea, planned for the end of this year, key components of the Baltic Power investment are being produced. Energy substations are being built in Pomeranian region, which will allow energy to be received from turbines and sent to the mainland. Other important elements of the investment are also being produced in factories located in Szczecin, Kluczbork, and Żary. The investment carried out by ORLEN Group together with the Canadian Northland Power will feed nearly 1.2 GW to the national energy system by 2026. Zero-emission energy flowing from it will be able to power over 1.5 million households.
Source: https://ceo.com.pl/orlen-podpisuje-umowe-na-zakup-farm-fotowoltaicznych-i-wiatrowych-o-lacznej-mocy-306-mw-28977
