Orlen has switched on a photovoltaic farm at its refinery in Możejki, Lithuania. The 42.2 MW installation will produce about 45 GWh a year for Orlen Lietuva, becoming the largest on-site renewable energy plant in the group.
The installation occupies roughly 60 hectares on the refinery’s premises and consists of almost 68 thousand bifacial PV modules, each with a peak output of 620 W. Because the panels can absorb sunlight from both sides, the system is expected to perform better even in weaker solar conditions.
The project was delivered by Electrum, a company from Białystok. This underlines the role of Polish engineering competencies in an investment that strengthens the energy security of the refinery.
Savings and EU support
Construction of the solar farm cost nearly 35 million euros. Around 2.5 million euros came from the EU Modernisation Fund, while the rest was covered by Orlen. The company estimates that generating its own green electricity will cut spending on purchased power by about 4 million euros per year.
The annual output of around 45 GWh will meet roughly 7 percent of the refinery’s electricity demand. For Orlen, the project is also a step toward limiting emissions from the Lithuanian operation.
– For the first time we will generate electricity from renewable sources for the refinery in Możejki on our own. This is an important step in reducing the environmental impact of our operations, but also concrete support for the cost efficiency of the plant. Thanks to this investment, a larger part of the energy consumed by Orlen Lietuva will come from our own renewable source, which realistically strengthens the company’s competitiveness and fits into the long-term strategy of the Orlen Group – said Dariusz Zonenberg, general director of Orlen Lietuva.
Orlen’s footprint in Lithuania
Orlen Lietuva remains one of the key players in the Lithuanian economy. It is a significant employer in the region and the country’s largest taxpayer.
Since 2006, Orlen has spent nearly 4.5 billion euros on acquiring and modernising the Możejki refinery. The group also operates the terminal in Butynga, a critical part of the raw material supply chain in Lithuania, and the rail terminal in Mockava, which supports exports of products to Poland and Ukraine.
Źródło: WNP.PL, Fot. Orlen / Materiały prasowe
