Today, DRI has taken an important next step on its 133 MW 4h (532 MWh) battery storage project in Trzebinia, Poland, by acquiring 100% of the shares from Columbus Energy.
DRI, the EU renewables arm of DTEK, announced in March this year that it had acquired the rights to build the first and largest battery storage based in southern Poland. Today’s acquisition shows the company is making good progress, staying on track to break ground later this year. Commercial operation is expected to start in January 2027.
The battery energy storage project is part of DRI’s aims to build up to 1GW of renewable energy and storage capacity in the country by 2030. Through its Trzebinia project, DRI will support Poland’s grid stability and support wider renewable energy development in the country.
The acquisition comes with the obligation to provide energy capacity to the Polish market for 17 years from 2027, having been successful in the 2022 Capacity Market auction organized by PSE, the Polish Transmission System Operator.
DRI CEO, John Stuart, said: “I am pleased to take the next step on this important project for DRI and for the country. Battery storage is a hugely important technology to accelerate the energy transition. The storage of renewable energy can help improve grid reliability, optimise energy costs and expand overall renewable production capacity, which is important for Poland to reach its 62 GW installed renewable energy target by 2030.”
DRI currently has two operational projects in Romania, a 53 MW solar farm in Glodeni and a 60 MW wind farm in Ruginoasa, the first wind farm built in Romania in a decade. Alongside this battery storage project in Poland, a further six solar and onshore wind projects are in various stages of development across Italy, Romania, and Croatia.