The Konary project is an innovative example in Poland and even in Central and Eastern Europe of the use of hybridization, that is the sharing of existing connection infrastructure by several renewable energy sources with complementary operating profiles.
EDP Renewables is puting in operation a 45 MWp photovoltaic project to create its first hybrid park in Poland. The Konary farm will use the same receiving station to which the 79,5 MW Pawlowo wind farm, also owned by EDPR, is connected. The total connection power of the substation will not change, but what is important – for the resulting system to meet all the requirements of the transmission system operator, its operation will be supervised by innovative, tailor-made algorithms.
Nearly 70,000 photovoltaic panels have been installed on an area of more than 55 hectares, the output of which will help power some 20,000 households annually. Over the entire, at least 25-year life of the Konary farm, this can avoid the use of about 350 thousand tons of coal and avoid the emission of about 840 thousand tons of CO2.
Konary is the fourth largest photovoltaic farm in Poland and was built with the cooperation with the municipalities of Gołańcz and Margonin, in the Northwest part of the country.
The Konary photovoltaic farm is further confirmation of EDPR's innovation and pioneering role in the Polish RES market. In Konary, we show that the idea of sharing the grid by complementary RES technologies, which we have successfully implemented in Portugal and Spain, can also unlock the potential of connecting additional gigawatts of green energy in Poland. With current energy prices and in the face of the – hopefully temporary – exhaustion of traditional options for connecting new RES capacity to the grid, cable-pooling can bring relief to Polish energy consumers – emphasizes Bartosz Fedurek, Country Manager of EDPR Poland – Significantly, we are implementing the investment in Konary on the territory of Margonin and Gołańcza, that is municipalities with which we have been cooperating for several years in the area of wind farms, thus strengthening our local presence.
With another photovoltaic investment, EDPR is strengthening its contribution to providing clean energy to the Polish grid, now with a diversified portfolio of wind and photovoltaic investments.
The investments made by EDPR in our municipality have not only allowed the development of renewable energy sources but have also improved the local infrastructure and boosted economic activity in the region – says Mieczyslaw Durski, Mayor of the City and Municipality of Golancz – We are glad that this cooperation continues with supporting local communities & their initiatives, moreover, that it is taking on more and more technologically advanced forms.
EDPR's investment in the Margonin wind farm, dating back to 2008, was an example and inspiration for neighboring municipalities, which quickly saw the benefits of having modern energy infrastructure in their area. Today EDPR is the largest RES investor in Wielkopolska, and we hope for more investments in our area– says Janusz Piechocki, Mayor of Margonin.
Since 2008, when EDPR began its operations in Poland, the company has completed projects with a capacity of nearly 900 MW, demonstrating its strong commitment to accelerating the energy transition in the country and around the world. The company also places great emphasis on stimulating the economic and social development of its local communities. Initiatives carried out in municipalities by EDPR, such as the Your Energy educational program and the Wind Cup soccer tournament, are examples of socially responsible business.
