Ukrainians are moving to conquer the Polish renewables sector

The Ukrainian energy company DTEK has acquired the energy storage project utilizing batteries from the Polish firm Columbus Energy. The investment is to be built in southern Poland.

DTEK announced that the largest Ukrainian energy company entered the Polish renewable energy market on March 27, 2024. It has taken over one of the largest battery storage projects in Poland. The operation was carried out by a subsidiary of DTEK DRI, which focuses on renewables in the European Union.

The Ukrainian company signed a purchase agreement with the Polish company Columbus Energy. Under the deal, after obtaining the necessary permits, it will be able to build a 133 MW battery storage facility in southern Poland. This is DTEK’s first major investment in infrastructure in Poland. The company intends to build a portfolio of 5 GW renewable energy projects in Europe by 2030.

“Today’s signing of the agreement marks an important moment in Europe’s drive to move beyond fossil fuels. This project will not only provide the necessary flexibility for Poland to move towards a future based on renewable energy sources, but will also be an important test for Central and Eastern Europe, showing how energy storage with batteries can be successfully implemented. DTEK’s investment in Poland is a key step towards the integration of the energy systems of Ukraine and Poland, ” said Maxim Timchenko, president of DTEK.

“We are very pleased that international energy players such as DTEK are investing in the Polish energy storage market through their EU subsidiary DRI. Poland is one of the leaders in the European Union in the production of batteries and battery cells, and over the next five years will also be one of the leaders in the construction of energy storage using battery technology. The construction of this new plant will certainly contribute to this goal,” said Krzysztof Kochanowski, vice president of PIME.

DTEK plans to finalize the contract with Columbus in the coming months, and then start earthworks in the last quarter of 2024. Thus, it could complete construction and start operating in early 2026.

DTEK / Marcin Karwowski