The construction of the first phase with a 2 MW plant was completed in April this year. For the plant in Września, this will ultimately mean an increase in the capacity of photovoltaic plants there to 15 MW. The new plant will be the largest project of its kind at a single site in Central and Eastern Europe.
The project to build a photovoltaic park on the site of Volkswagen's Poznań plant in Września was divided into two phases. The works envisaged in the first phase were completed in April this year (the first phase included a 2 MW plant). The company is preparing for further works. Volkswagen Poznań has signed a contract with Quanta Energy for the second phase of plant construction. It will have a capacity of 13 MW. In this construction phase, more than 20,000 PV solar cells with a capacity of 590 W will be installed on another 18 ha of land.
Incrase the share of self-generated energy
Once completed, the entire plant will cover an area of 22 ha, equivalent to the size of 28 soccer fields, and will produce 15,750 MWh of electricity, which would be equivalent to the annual demand of almost 4,000 single-family homes.
"All Volkswagen Poznań plants are powered 100% by electricity from renewable sources, supplied by external suppliers. In order to reduce the cost of purchasing this energy and at the same time increase the share of self-generated energy in the company's energy balance, we decided to build a photovoltaic plant in Września" - says Dr. Thomas Kreuzinger-Janik, Plant Manager Volkswagen Poznań in Września. "The measures we are taking in Września are just one of the energy projects being implemented at Volkswagen Poznań. I would like to remind you that we also recover thermal energy from production processes, for example from our foundry, which we supply to the municipal grid and use to heat 6,500 apartments in Poznań."
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The energy generated will be used mainly to supply power to Volkswagen Poznań's production plant in Września. Construction of the new plant is scheduled to begin this year. However, commissioning is scheduled to take place by June 2024.
Bifacial solar modules with more yield
The new plant will use bifacial solar cells that can draw power from both sides. This will allow 5-7% more energy to be generated per year than with conventional solar cells. The solar cells will use N-type technology to ensure lower module efficiency loss and higher efficiency.
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"I am pleased that we are consistently implementing the Group's "go to zero" strategy, which aims to be CO2 neutral by 2050. However, in addition to the positive impact on the environment, the financial savings are also important. In view of rising energy prices, it is not only important to protect the environment by using green energy, but it is also important to optimize the fixed costs that this project entails. We will continue to follow this path in order to further improve the competitiveness of our plants," emphasizes Agnieszka Olenderek, Board Member for Finance, Purchasing and IT at Volkswagen Poznań. (hcn)
