Lignite miner and power generation company Zespół Elektrowni Pątnów-Adamów-Konin (ZE PAK) in Poland has announced commercial operations of the country's 'largest' solar power plant with 70 MW capacity, forming one of the stages in the company's transition to clean electricity production.
Built by Esoleo and PAK Serwis consortium, the project has come up in the Brudzew commune on land that was till recently used by Adamow Brown Coal Mine for opencast lignite mining. About 100-hectare of this space is covered with about 155,554 solar PV modules, each with an output of 455 W, 306 inverters and more than 900 km of cables and optical fibers.
The PLN 163.8 million subsidy-free facility is designed to generate close to 68,188 MWh annually, bringing down CO2 emissions considerably, according to the project partners. One of the offtakers of the project is Polish telecommunications group Polsat Plus Group.
"This is one of the largest investments in green energy in Poland, implemented by private capital. Our modern and currently the largest solar power plant in Poland is another milestone in the energy transformation of both ZEPAK and the entire region of Wielkopolska," said Piotr Woźny, president of ZE PAK SA. "We want PAK to generate energy only from renewable sources by 2030 – including from sun, wind and biomass. Soon we are also launching the production of green hydrogen in Konin, which is the fuel of the future."
Project partners say pallets left by PV modules have been processed into plywood panels to be used to produce furniture.
Polish oil refiner Orlen Group subsidiary Energa plans to build a 160 MW Energa RES Center and in January 2021 was seeking approval for 100 MW solar capacity next to the Adamow lignite mine to ensure optimum use of the reclaimed mining areas of Adamow mine (see 100 MW Solar Project Near Coal Mine In Poland).
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