German renewables developer PNE Group has won the rights to build two projects totalling 174MW in Poland’s first onshore wind auction.
The 132MW Jasna and 42MW Barwice projects are located in the north of country and have been developed by PNE subsidiary WKN.
Construction is scheduled to start in the first half of next year.
Jasna will comprise 39 turbines and become operational in 2020, while Barwice will feature 14 machines and come online later in 2019.
PNE said both projects had already been developed and were ready for construction ahead of the invitation to tender.
The company added that it is planning participate in future onshore auctions in Poland.
PNE chief executive Markus Lesser said: “This is a great success for us. Our intensive and multi-year project development in Poland is now paying off. The internationalisation of our core business has taken another major step forward.
“In addition to our successful developments in France, Sweden and the USA, the market for wind energy in Poland is now also developing extremely well for us.”
Compatriot company WPD secured four projects totalling 102.5MW in the auction. The wind farms are the 45MW Slupca Kolaczkowo, featuring 15 turbines, 42.5MW Jarocin Kozmin plant, comprising 17 machines, 10MW Krotoszyn with four units and two-turbine 5MW Jarocin Wschod.
They are all located in the centre of country, with construction set to start once finance has been settled and the final order for turbines made, WPD said.
WPD board member Hartmut Brosamle said: “After the end of the Green Certificate system in Poland in 2015, we had to wait three years for the major auction announced for Renewable Energies.
“WPD’s basic strategy of entering markets early and not giving up in tough times, has once again proved correct.
“We always believed in the Polish market and we kept our own local team. By implementing the Polish projects, we are opening up the European market still further and systematically pursuing our global strategy of expansion. Poland will again become one of the most exciting markets in Europe in the medium term.”
Meanwhile, trade body WindEurope branded Poland’s draft energy strategy to 2040 as “crazy” for not planning any more onshore wind farms beyond what is scheduled for the current auction process.
Poland plans to increase capacity to 73GW from 40GW, including 10GW of offshore wind and up to 9GW of nuclear, WindEurope said.
WindEurope chief executive Giles Dickson said: “This is really disappointing on onshore wind. And it makes no sense economically. You expand your power capacity but you don’t use the cheapest form of new power generation?
“It’s crazy, not least when it has just run its first onshore wind auction and got extremely competitive prices.”