German renewables developer BayWa r.e. has started to build the 64.6MW Witnica solar project close to the German border, which will both be Poland’s largest solar power plant and be built without government subsidies.
The company is in advanced discussion with an industrial client to secure a power purchase agreement (PPA) for electricity from Witnica.
“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,” said Benedikt Ortmann, global director of solar projects at BayWa r.e.
“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.”
Matthias Emminghaus, who is responsible for Poland at the developer, added: “There is huge potential for wind and solar energy in Poland. We are already planning to build an additional 50MWp solar park next year, and our solar project pipeline currently amounts to around 600 MWp.”
Over the next five years, BayWa plan to build renewable projects in Poland with a capacity of more than 1GW.
