Trinasolar Supports the Transformation of Brownfield Land at 200MW Photovoltaic Farm in Poland

 Trinasolar, a global leader in smart PV and energy storage solutions, has supplied 308,000 Vertex bifacial dual-glass modules and FixOrigin mounting structures to the second largest photovoltaic farm in Poland, located in Przykona, in the Wielkopolska region. The plant, with a total installed capacity of 200MW, was built on the site of a former open-pit mine, significantly contributing to the green transformation of the country, and will produce enough energy to power 100,000 households annually.

The construction of renewable energy systems (RES) in post-mining and post-industrial areas is increasingly becoming a response to the challenge of developing these spaces and filling the budget gaps left after the closure of plants. It is estimated that there are as many as 20,000 such sites in Europe, and Trinasolar is actively involved in their transformation.

The Vertex dual-glass bifacial modules employed at the Przykona installation are among the largest available in the company's portfolio. Compatible FixOrigin fixed-tilt mounting structures were also provided by Trinasolar, featuring increased resistance to difficult weather conditions. They have been optimised to accommodate the large Vertex modules, both for resistance to high wind loads and for minimised impact of rear-side shading on the bifacial solar panels. Thanks to this combination, the installation will provide high efficiency and low levelised cost of energy (LCOE).

The installation in Przykona, covering 270 hectares, is set to produce 220 GWh of clean energy annually, meeting the needs of 100,000 households.  Delivery of both photovoltaic modules and mounting structures by Trinasolar ensures that the key components of the system are verified, wind-related difficulties are limited, and the potential of bifacial panels is fully exploited.

Renewable energy installations as an opportunity for degraded areas
Areas previously used for opencast mining, landfills or military bases – so called brownfield land – are difficult to reuse, for example due to potential soil contamination or demanding terrain. At the same time, it is estimated that there are up to 20,000 such facilities in Europe alone.

The scale of brownfield land and its potential mean the use of such land for renewable energy installations is of key importance among EU bodies. Such projects are a part of the EU's Just Transition Fund, which is intended to facilitate energy transformation and support the pursuit of climate neutrality in Europe. In November 2023, the European Union adopted the RED III directive on areas for accelerated development of renewable energy, aimed at significantly streamlining the issuing of permits for photovoltaic installations. Among the 8 priority areas for accelerated development of RES were degraded areas unsuitable for agricultural use, where the waiting period for a permit for the construction of an installation should not exceed 12 months.

“Although building photovoltaic and wind farms on degraded land involves many challenges, such as adapting the installation to the specific terrain or the existing soil condition, it is still a less demanding alternative than returning land to agricultural use or using it for housing development”, emphasizes Gonzalo de la Viña, President Europe at Trinasolar.

“We believe that this type of land has exceptional potential and can become another important driver in Europe's energy transformation, especially with the support of constantly developing technologies such as bifacial photovoltaic modules, which allow for significant increases in the efficiency of installations, and reduce the cost of energy generation.”