The 64.6 MW project, which is due for completion by the end of 2020, is being built without the need for any government subsidies, and the electricity generated will be sold locally to an industrial client via a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA). The company is already in advanced discussions to secure the PPA, BayWa r.e. announced.
The plant is being built near Witnica, close to the German border between Poznań and Berlin. Dr. Benedikt Ortmann, Global Director of Solar Projects at BayWa r.e. said: “Grid parity of solar power is constantly advancing. Following our successful completion in recent years of projects in Spain and Germany, which were realised without subsidies, we have now reached the point where photovoltaic energy is marketable in Poland, too.
Huge demand for green energy in Poland
“Poland is experiencing huge demand for green energy, particularly from commerce and industry, despite the widespread lack of availability in a country that still generates 80% of its electricity from coal.
“To be able to start construction of the country’s first large-scale solar park, which does not require any subsidies from the very outset, marks a remarkable achievement.”
Matthias Emminghaus, who is responsible for the Polish region at BayWa r.e. Solar Projects GmbH, added: “We have been serving the Polish market for several years, and are delighted that this work is now paying off.
600 MM solar project pipeline
“There is huge potential for wind and solar energy in Poland. We are already planning to build an additional 50 MW solar park next year, and our solar project pipeline currently amounts to around 600 MW. Over the next five years, we have set ourselves the goal of constructing solar and wind projects in Poland with an output of more than 1 Gigawatt,” Emminghaus said.
As well as implementing solar and wind projects, BayWa r.e. has already been successfully trading in solar components for installers on the Polish market for several years. (hcn)
