The great modernisation programme of Polish power grids is crucial for the future of the offshore wind sector in Poland, especially in the context of the growing role of wind energy in the Baltic Sea. Energa Operator, part of the ORLEN Group, has secured more than PLN 7.5 billion from the National Reconstruction Plan to implement the largest ever modernisation and digitalisation programme for the power grid in northern and central Poland. The aim of this investment is not only to improve energy security, but also to create an infrastructure that supports the development of renewable energy sources (RES), including offshore wind farms, which are one of the pillars of the country’s energy transition.
The modernisation and construction of 21,000 kilometres of power grid will enable as much as 9 GW of renewable sources, including offshore wind farms, as well as energy storage facilities, to be connected to the grid. This will enable Poland to make better use of wind energy with low variable costs, which will translate into lower energy prices and higher energy security. The programme will also enable the connection of 200,000 new prosumers, which is of key importance in the context of the dynamic development of the RES sector in Poland.
Energa Operator’s investment programme envisages connecting new renewable sources to the grid, together with energy storage facilities that stabilise system operation and reduce dependence on weather conditions. According to the new strategy, ORLEN Group’s energy storage facilities will reach a target capacity of 1.4 GW. The modernisation programme will result in increased grid reliability for 3.5 million customers and the ability to make better use of renewable energy, unencumbered by the volatile costs of fossil fuels and regulatory costs associated with emissions.
– We are embarking on a very ambitious project that will provide real support for Polish economic development and significantly strengthen the country’s energy security. Northern Poland will play an increasingly important role in the energy transition. Already today our onshore renewable sources are concentrated here. The four offshore wind farms and energy storage facilities enshrined in our strategy will also be built here. This system will be supported by two gas-fired power stations under construction and two more we are planning in Gdańsk and Grudziądz. The grid modernisation programme is an increase in access to clean and attractively priced energy that is eagerly awaited by the region’s residents and businesses. It will be carried out by the Energa Group, which plays a key role in the process of strategic transformation of the Polish energy sector – said Ireneusz Fąfara, President of the Management Board of ORLEN.
The programme envisages, among other things, the construction of over 11,000 kilometres of new power lines and 7,000 kilometres of cable lines and the modernisation of nearly 10,000 kilometres of existing lines. Expansion and modernisation of the network also means increasing the investment attractiveness of the economic zones in Pruszcz Gdański, Słupsk or Koszalin and preparing them to welcome energy-intensive businesses. It also means supporting the development of seaports, including gas and fuel terminals, as well as electromobility and the widespread electrification of public transport.
– Pomerania is becoming an important place on the energy map of Poland; it is an attractive location, increasingly recognised by serious investors. Already more than 50 per cent of the energy we produce comes from renewable sources, and the development of the RES portfolio is a priority for us. For this energy bloodstream to function, we also need an efficient, intelligent distribution network. We are therefore preparing to modernise and expand the network on an unprecedented scale, and the funds we have managed to obtain from the National Reconstruction Plan provide almost 20 per cent of the financing for the entire 10-year development plan – emphasises Sławomir Staszak, CEO of Energa SA.
There are currently 9.6 GW of renewable sources connected to the Energa Operator grid, i.e. one third of all renewable capacity in Poland. As part of the implementation of the investment programme, this level will increase to almost 19 GW and the planned number of prosumers will increase from 300,000 to 500,000.
– Energa Operator has been the greenest distribution system operator for years. Today, around 60 per cent of the electricity used in our area of operation comes from renewable energy sources. Therefore, we are one of the European leaders in energy transformation among distributors. Thanks to modern technical solutions, financed, among other things, by the National Reconstruction Programme, we will provide investors, companies and residents with greater comfort, reliability of energy supply and the development of logistics centres, data processing centres, installations necessary for high-speed rail and the development of charging stations for high-power electric vehicles – says Robert Świerzyński, President of the Management Board of Energa Operator.
Energa Operator obtained the funds from the NRP in the form of a low-interest loan from BGK. Earlier, ORLEN also obtained PLN 3.5 billion in preferential financing for its grid modernisation programme from the European Investment Bank.
– Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego is an institution with a mission for the social and economic development of Poland, therefore we are present wherever investments of key importance for our country are being implemented. Today’s loan agreement, although concluded for the development and modernisation of transmission and distribution infrastructure, has a much greater impact. These are investments that condition, among other things, the expansion of the distributed energy system, i.e. RES and energy storage facilities. It is worth emphasising that preferential financing of network infrastructure will, to a large extent, create the basis for further decarbonisation of the Polish economy. These are activities that directly translate into the country’s security and energy transformation – says Mirosław Czekaj, President of BGK.
Source: ENERGA
