The Polish photovoltaic farm developer Solartech has entered into a partnership with CLARITASInvestments, a Dutch renewable energy investor.
On February 7, 2023, representatives of both companies signed a framework agreement providing for the development of battery energy storage systems in Poland. The aim of the cooperation is to create a platform for battery energy storage system (BESS) projects in Poland with a total capacity of 500 MW. Energy storage projects will be developed both as stand-alone installations and in combination with photovoltaic farms (co-located).
Solartech is one of the largest photovoltaic farm developers in Poland. It carries out turnkey RES projects, which include comprehensive activities such as land acquisition for investments, PV installation design, obtaining necessary decisions and permits, construction and commissioning of RES installations. Solartech experts support investors in selling energy from farms and participating in RES auctions organized by the President of URE. After completion of the construction, it offers maintenance services, telemetric and visual monitoring. So far, the company has built several dozen farms with a capacity of up to 1 MW throughout Poland. In 2020, it executed the first 4 photovoltaic farms for the PGE Group. It is currently implementing some of the largest photovoltaic farms such as PV Jeziórko and PV Augustynka. In addition, it conducts projects for foreign investors. The owner of the company, Bartłomiej Zysiński, is a co-founder and member of the board of the Polish Photovoltaic Society (PV Polska) and the originator and co-creator of the Polish Chamber of Energy Storage.
CLARITAS is a pan-European investor actively working towards energy transformation, focusing on greenfield and early-stage projects. It invests in future business models and creates high-quality asset investment platforms for the benefit of modern energy infrastructure. CLARITAS has been an active player in the Polish RES market since 2018, where it is developing a large-scale generation portfolio in the renewable energy sector.
“Energy storage systems are the key to effective energy transformation in Poland. The installed capacity of RES in Poland has exceeded the level of 22 GW, and photovoltaics is one of the largest sources of renewable energy. To take the next step, we must urgently move towards using the energy produced in an even more efficient way. Energy storage systems are an essential element in the synergies of modern technological solutions that solve challenges such as weather-dependent energy generation from RES. We are convinced that cooperation with CLARITAS will bring real solutions that increase the energy security of our country,” said Bartłomiej Zysiński, CEO of Solartech.
For CLARITAS, this is another agreement we are making in the BESS segment, believing that the development of energy storage services will improve the Polish power grid. Ultimately, we want to build a portfolio of storage facilities on a GW-scale and we are trying to do this with partners who have rich experience in the market. I am delighted to cooperate with Solartech, who in addition to their knowledge of developing such projects, also have practical experience in the construction and operation phase. This positively impacts the quality of our projects and our ability to offer partners the best available solutions, says Michał Kopyś, Country Director Poland, CLARITAS Investments.
Energy storage facilities are a technology that is one of the pillars of energy transformation. They are an excellent tool to support the stabilization of the power grid by balancing the supply and demand for electricity. As a modern technology, they can provide services that improve the operation of the power system, starting from eliminating voltage problems, through providing power reserves, to restoring the power system in the event of a power outage. Thanks to these functions, energy storage facilities help optimize the costs of production investments and network modernization expenses, contributing to lowering the bills of end-users.
