The Solar Park Initiative (Park Słoneczny) in Kleszczów: Groundbreaking energy transition in Poland's largest coal mining region – Creative image: Xpert.Digital
Historic change in Poland: Renewable energy is overtaking coal – and this project shows how
From CO2 giant to solar pioneer: This municipality is revolutionizing Poland's energy transition
Poland's energy landscape is currently undergoing a dramatic transformation. Renewable energies are now overtaking coal as the most important source of electricity, having accounted for 44.1 percent of Poland's electricity mix for the first time in June 2025, while coal fell back to 43.7 percent. In this context of comprehensive transformation, a particularly symbolic project is being developed: the 50-megawatt solar park in the municipality of Kleszczów, the heart of Poland's lignite mining industry.
A successful partnership between the public and private sectors
The planned solar park in Kleszczów represents not only a significant investment in renewable energy but also a groundbreaking model of public-private cooperation. The farm is being built as a joint venture between PGE Energia Odnawialna, a subsidiary of the state-owned energy company PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna, and the municipality of Kleszczów. Both partners will each hold a 50 percent stake in the project company PGE Soleo1, which was established specifically for this purpose.
This equal partnership between a major energy company and a local community is exceptional and paves the way for financing and implementing solar projects. While the energy company contributes its technical expertise and financial strength, the community contributes the required land and benefits directly from the plant's revenues.
Technical dimensions and performance data
The photovoltaic plant will be built on an area of 50 hectares and will achieve a nominal output of 50 megawatts. The projected annual electricity production is 53 gigawatt hours, enough to supply approximately 25,000 Polish households with clean energy. These performance figures position the farm as one of the larger photovoltaic plants in Poland and an important building block in Poland's energy transition.
The plant will be equipped with state-of-the-art photovoltaic modules, whose technical parameters ensure high productivity even under the climatic conditions of central Poland. The choice of technology follows the latest industry standards and takes into account the requirements for long-term and reliable energy generation over the planned operating period of at least 20 years.
Strategic importance for regional transformation
The municipality of Kleszczów is in a unique situation: It is home to the Bełchatów power plant, the largest lignite-fired power plant in Europe and, at the same time, the largest CO2 emitter in the European Union, with 30 million tons of CO2 emissions annually. The power plant produces approximately one-fifth of Poland's electricity needs and directly and indirectly employs tens of thousands of people in the region.
The solar farm is a central component of the program for a just transformation of the Bełchatów region, which PGE developed in response to the inevitable structural change. This program envisions the gradual development of wind energy projects and energy storage facilities in the region, alongside the photovoltaic plant, to replace the large coal-fired power plant in the long term.
For the municipality of Kleszczów, previously considered the wealthiest municipality in Poland and owing its high tax revenues primarily to the power plant, the transformation represents both a challenge and an opportunity. The solar park will generate additional revenue through property taxes, lease fees, and profit sharing, which will help partially offset the expected decline in revenue from the coal-fired power plant.
Financing and marketing of solar energy
The financing and marketing of the plant follows a flexible approach. PGE and the municipality have agreed to market the energy either through the Polish renewable energy auction system or through long-term direct sales contracts, so-called Power Purchase Agreements. This flexibility allows for the economically optimal marketing strategy to be chosen depending on the market situation.
The Polish auction system has established itself as an effective tool for promoting renewable energy, offering predictable revenues over long periods. Alternatively, PPAs can enable more direct customer relationships and potentially achieve better prices, but also require more active marketing management.
Integration into the national photovoltaic strategy
The project fits seamlessly into PGE's ambitious solar energy expansion plans. The company plans to build a portfolio of over 3 gigawatts of photovoltaic capacity by 2030, thereby consolidating its position as a leading producer of renewable energy in Poland. PGE Energia Odnawialna already commissioned 180.4 megawatts of new solar capacity in 2024 and plans to add another 140 megawatts in 2025.
The farm in Kleszczów is one of the flagship projects and demonstrates how PGE is breaking new ground in the development of solar projects, both technically and organizationally. The cooperation with the municipality as an equal partner could serve as a model for future projects and strengthen local acceptance of energy infrastructure.
Poland as an emerging solar market
Poland has developed into one of the most dynamic photovoltaic markets in Europe in recent years. In 2020, solar systems with a total capacity of 2.2 gigawatts were installed, double the previous year's capacity and making Poland the fourth-largest solar market in Europe after Spain, the Netherlands, and Germany.
Growth is occurring at all levels: from small rooftop systems with an average capacity of 6.5 kilowatts, the number of which rose from 155,000 at the end of 2019 to 350,000 at the end of 2020, to large ground-mounted systems such as the VSB Group's planned 303-megawatt solar park in Lower Silesia. The Polish Energy Regulatory Authority has already granted preliminary grid connection permits for larger projects totaling 4.4 gigawatts.
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Solar parks instead of coal-fired power plants: Poland's smart answer to climate change
Challenges of the energy transition in a coal-producing country
Poland faces the enormous challenge of transforming its heavily coal-dependent energy system. As recently as 2023, approximately 57 percent of its electricity came from coal, but this share is steadily declining. The government under Prime Minister Donald Tusk has set an ambitious target of reducing CO2 emissions by 75 percent by 2030.
Experts such as the Council for Energy Security and Climate are even calling for a complete phase-out of coal-fired power generation by 2035, earlier than Germany's 2038 phase-out date. This would mean that the Bełchatów power plant, which currently produces over 20 percent of Poland's electricity, would also have to be shut down in the next ten years.
The transformation is being accelerated by economic realities: the average age of Polish coal-fired power plants is 37 years, many are inefficient, and break down more frequently. At the same time, the cost of hard coal production has risen to 824 zloty per ton, while the world market price is only around 110 euros.
Social aspects and jobs
The structural change directly affects approximately 75,000 coal miners in Poland, whose jobs are at risk due to the energy transition. The Polish government is therefore planning nine billion zloty in subsidies for coal mining by 2025 to avoid social tensions and create time for the transition.
The solar park project in Kleszczów demonstrates how this transition can succeed: New technologies create new jobs, even if these often require different qualifications. PGE has already opened a skills development center that trains workers for the new requirements of the energy industry.
Environmental and health aspects
The health impacts of coal-fired power generation are particularly noticeable in the Bełchatów region. Medical experts confirm that air pollution from the power plant shortens life expectancy and increases the number of heart attacks and strokes. The particulate matter spreads over many kilometers, polluting a large region.
The solar park will help reduce these burdens. Every kilowatt-hour of solar power potentially replaces coal-fired power, thus avoiding CO2 emissions and other pollutants. With the projected annual production of 53 gigawatt-hours, significant emissions can be saved.
Technological innovations and efficiency
Modern solar parks like the one planned in Kleszczów rely on the latest developments in photovoltaic technology. These include bifacial modules that absorb light from both sides and thus achieve higher yields, as well as optimized inverter technology for maximum system efficiency.
The choice of location takes into account not only the availability of suitable land, but also local sunshine conditions, grid connection, and soil conditions. In Poland, average solar radiation is around 1,000 to 1,200 kilowatt hours per square meter per year, which makes solar power generation quite economical.
Grid integration and system stability
The integration of large-scale solar parks into the Polish power grid requires careful planning and appropriate grid infrastructure. Poland is therefore investing heavily in modernizing and expanding its transmission networks to cope with the fluctuating supply of renewable energy.
The Kleszczów site offers the advantage of an existing, high-performance grid connection via the Bełchatów power plant. This infrastructure can be partially used to feed solar power into the grid, saving costs and facilitating integration.
International classification and comparison
With a capacity of 50 megawatts, the planned solar park is one of the larger facilities in Poland, but is still significantly smaller than the world's largest solar parks, which have 2,000 to 2,200 megawatts. In Germany, the size corresponds roughly to medium-sized to large-scale ground-mounted plants, such as those supported by the Renewable Energy Sources Act.
In a European comparison, the project demonstrates how even traditional coal-producing countries can achieve the transition to renewable energies. Similar transformation projects are underway in the German Lusatia region, where large solar parks are being built on former open-cast lignite mining sites.
Schedule and implementation
The original plans called for commissioning by the end of 2022. According to current information, completion is now expected in 2026, which corresponds to typical development times for solar projects of this size. The delay may be due to the complexity of the joint venture model, permitting procedures, or supply chain difficulties.
Construction is expected to begin in 2025, once all necessary permits have been obtained and financing is secured. The construction period for a 50-megawatt solar farm is typically six to twelve months, depending on soil conditions and weather.
Economic impact on the region
The solar park will not only create jobs during the construction phase but also provide long-term economic stimulus for the region. Local suppliers and service providers will benefit from the contracts, and the municipality will receive permanent additional income.
PGE has pledged to give preference to local companies whenever possible when awarding contracts. This is in line with the company's strategy of strengthening regional value creation and increasing acceptance of energy projects through "local content."
Solar parks as a model for the future: Poland's strategic energy transition
The solar park in Kleszczów is just the beginning of a comprehensive transformation of the region. PGE plans to build a comprehensive portfolio of renewable energy projects, including wind farms and energy storage. The entire group aims to become climate-neutral by 2035 and will invest PLN 235 billion in the transformation of the energy system.
The joint venture model could set a precedent and be applied in other regions of Poland. The equal partnership between energy companies and municipalities can increase local acceptance of energy projects and ensure fair participation in the profits.
The success of the project will be measured not only by its technical implementation and economic performance, but also by how well it succeeds in involving the affected people and communities in the transformation process and creating new perspectives for the post-coal era. In this sense, the Kleszczów Solar Park is more than just another photovoltaic plant—it is a symbol of Poland's transition toward a sustainable energy future.
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