The Energia Przykona unit of Warsaw-based NeoInvestments, has signed an agreement with China Sinogy Electric Engineering for a 600 MW solar project in the municipality of Pryzkona, in Turek county.
The project, which also involves China Sinogy’s European partner Strategic Swiss Partners AG, was announced at a press conference at the Pryzkona municipal building.
The solar park, in the Greater Poland province in the west of the country, will be built on former mining land and will generate around 630 GWh per year. Energia Przykona said the project’s developers expect to secure grid connection approval next month and environmental permits in the first quarter of next year.
Chief operating officer Jacek Rusiecki said mining activities at the site had caused a significant reduction in groundwater and the plant will be close to the transmission network. “This is the best way to use the potential of this area, providing numerous benefits in both economic and environmental terms,” he added in a press release issued by the company.
Energia Przykona said it is considering storage as part of the project but did not reveal the terms associated with selling the electricity generated.
Utility plans 500 MW
In a separate development, Poland’s state-owned utility Polska Grupa Energetyczna (PGE) signed a letter of intent with silver and copper producer KGHM Polska Miedź SA (KGHM) for the deployment of 500 MW of solar generation capacity on the miner’s premises.
“This will enable one of the largest producers of copper and refined silver in the world to buy energy directly from the PGE Group,” the utility said in a press release. With an annual consumption of around 2.5 TWh, the mining company is Poland’s second largest energy consumer after Polish State Railways. “Photovoltaic projects are to be implemented by PGE and KGHM in a joint venture formula covering development, construction and operation of the plants,” added the utility.
The power company said the 500 MW plan is part of its renewable energy strategy, which aims for 2.5 GW of installed capacity by 2030. The utility’s renewable energy arm, PGE Energia Odnawialna, owns and operates a small solar park in Góra Żary as well as 14 wind farms, 29 hydroelectric power plants and four pumped storage plants.
Deals signed
In early June, PGE signed a letter of intent with chemical companies Grupa Azoty Kopalnie i Zaklady Chemiczne Siarki Siarkopol SA and Grupa Azoty SA for a large scale solar project expected to provide them with electricity under a corporate power purchase agreement.
Another power company and coal miner, Tauron Polska Energia SA, two weeks ago announced a program to deploy ground-mounted PV at its unused sites. Coal company and electricity provider, Zespół Elektrowni Pątnów-Adamów-Konin SA said in November it would deploy a large scale PV plant at a depleted area of the extensive Adamów brown coal mine in Turek county.
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Nice jump to 1.1GW of solar for Poland, then you get to “aims for 2.5 GW of installed capacity by 2030” and then it is a let down. Maybe after the 1.1GW is installed they will “see the light” and actually get some ambition.
@John “aims for 2.5 GW of installed capacity by 2030” – that’s just 1 company and it about fits with their energy use. AFAIK The national strategy says 20GW by 2040.
John,
or maybe commit to little and actually do much better ….i would say that is always a better strategy