First solar park project in Gubin in the Lubuskie province – ABO Energy successfully expands into Poland

### Historic turnaround in our neighbor: In this country, green energy has just overtaken coal – and hardly anyone notices ### Europe's new energy hotspot? Why German companies are now investing heavily in Poland ### The end of the coal era: How our neighbor Poland is becoming a pioneer for renewables in record time ### The 10H rule is being dropped? This legal change could unleash Poland's wind power potential overnight ###

Success in the neighboring country: This Wiesbaden-based company is making a big impact in Poland's booming solar market

ABO Energy has achieved a significant success in its market entry into Poland. The Wiesbaden-based company has received both the grid commitment and the crucial tariff award for its first Polish solar park. This marks the company's entry into one of Europe's most dynamic energy markets, which is undergoing an impressive transformation from coal-dominated energy to renewable energies.

Pioneering work on former military site

The solar park project in Gubin, in the Lubuskie province, represents a successful example of the conversion of military land. The solar park is being built on the site of a former military training area and demonstrates how disused military land can be activated for the energy transition. With a capacity of 17 megawatts peak, the plant will theoretically be able to supply more than 6,000 households with clean electricity.

The choice of location reflects a clever strategic approach. Former military sites often offer sufficient space for larger solar installations without competing with agricultural or residential development. At the same time, such sites are often conveniently located with existing infrastructure, facilitating project development and subsequent operation.

Strategic development of Polish activities

ABO Energy has been systematically developing the Polish market since 2019. The company established an office in Lodz in 2020 and now employs 18 people there, working on an impressive portfolio of solar, wind, and battery projects with a total capacity of more than one gigawatt.

The gradual market development is also reflected in the project pipeline. In addition to Gubin, ABO Energy has already secured grid connections for three additional solar parks. Applications have also been submitted for three standalone battery storage projects, including an impressive 257-megawatt battery storage facility. This diversification demonstrates the company's understanding of the complex requirements of modern energy systems.

The first success in Poland came in 2022 with the commissioning of the Donaborow wind farm. The nine Siemens Gamesa SG114 turbines have a total capacity of 19.8 megawatts and supply approximately 15,000 households with green electricity. This wind farm demonstrated ABO Energy's ability to successfully implement complex projects in Poland.

Poland's rapid energy transformation

Poland is currently undergoing one of the most dynamic energy transitions in Europe. In June 2025, renewable energies reached a higher share of the Polish electricity mix than coal for the first time – a historic turning point for the traditionally coal-dominated country. Renewable energies reached a share of 44.1 percent, while coal fell to 43.7 percent.

This development is all the more remarkable given that just a few years ago, Poland was one of the most coal-dependent countries in Europe. The share of coal in electricity generation has fallen from around 63 percent in 2023 to approximately 57 percent in 2024. At the same time, the share of renewable energies has increased rapidly, particularly due to the massive expansion of wind and solar power.

The Polish government has set ambitious goals. The share of renewable energy in the electricity mix is to increase from the current 29 percent to 56 percent by 2030. With an electricity demand of approximately 160 terawatt hours and high economic growth, Poland offers considerable potential for further investment in renewable energy.

Solar energy as a growth driver

Poland is developing into one of Europe's most important solar markets. The country already has an installed solar capacity of more than 17 gigawatts and is planning further massive expansion. The project pipeline is particularly impressive: over 19 gigawatts of new solar projects are in various stages of development.

Around 1,500 projects with a cumulative capacity of over 12.3 gigawatts have already received construction permits. Many of these projects could be considered in the renewable energy tender in December 2024. A key component of the planned solar projects is the integration of energy storage solutions. About 10 percent of the projects include battery storage, while around a quarter of the large-scale solar projects plan to build storage facilities with a total capacity of 1.7 gigawatts.

The Polish solar industry benefits from favorable regulatory conditions. Unlike wind energy, which suffers from restrictive distance regulations, solar energy has relatively simple permitting procedures. The auction system of the Polish Energy Regulatory Authority (URE) offers project developers long-term price security through contracts for difference over 15 years.

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More about it here:

• Clicking instead of screwing: This ingenious system builds solar parks 40% faster and revolutionizes the energy transition

Challenges in wind energy

While solar energy enjoys favorable conditions, wind energy in Poland struggles with the so-called 10H distance rule. This regulation stipulates that wind turbines must maintain a distance of ten times their height from the nearest residential building, which in practice means distances of up to two kilometers.

The 10H rule was introduced by the then PiS government in 2016 and has since effectively blocked the expansion of onshore wind power in Poland. A reform in April 2023 allowed municipalities to deviate from the 10H rule in their development plans and specify a minimum distance of 700 meters.

The Polish Ministry of Climate is working on further relaxing the distance rules. A new draft law proposes to completely abolish the 10H rule and reduce the minimum distance to 500 meters. This change could increase the available area for wind power investments by 26 percent and enable the development of 10 gigawatts of new wind capacity by 2030.

The Polish Wind Energy Association (PSEW) estimates that up to 60 percent more wind power capacity could be installed at a minimum distance of 500 meters compared to a distance of 700 meters. The onshore wind potential at a distance of 500 meters from residential buildings is estimated at 41.4 gigawatts, while the offshore wind potential is approximately 33 gigawatts.

Offshore wind energy as hope for the future

Poland is increasingly investing in offshore wind energy in the Baltic Sea. The Baltica project, developed by PGE and its Danish partner Ørsted, will be one of the largest offshore wind farms in Europe, with a total capacity of 2.5 gigawatts. Baltica 2, with a capacity of 1.5 gigawatts, is scheduled to go into operation in 2027 and will consist of 107 state-of-the-art wind turbines.

The European Investment Bank is supporting the project with a €1.4 billion financing package, with the first €400 million loan already signed. Further offshore projects are under development, with international corporations such as RWE, as well as companies from Denmark, France, Canada, and Spain, securing the necessary funding alongside PGE and Orlen.

Battery storage as a key technology

The growing share of variable renewable energy makes energy storage a key technology for Poland. The country promotes the development of battery storage through various programs and subsidies. The National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management is introducing initiatives to promote investments in this technology, ranging from small prosumer systems to large-scale industrial projects.

Axpo and EDP Renewables have signed a groundbreaking agreement to optimize a 60-megawatt battery storage system, scheduled to begin commercial operation in 2027. The project, located in the Greater Poland region, can store up to 241 megawatt-hours of electricity and represents an important step for the energy storage market in Central and Eastern Europe.

The challenges of grid stability are already evident today. The Polish grid operator PSE has had to make repeated capacity cuts in renewable energy to stabilize the grid. This situation underscores the urgency of investing in grid modernization and energy storage.

European financing as a catalyst

Poland is benefiting significantly from European financing programs for the energy transition. The European Investment Bank has awarded 525 million euros to Poland's largest energy company, PGE, for renewable energy projects. This financing supports, among other things, the expansion of photovoltaic plants with a total capacity of almost 730 megawatts and the modernization of a 540-megawatt pumped-storage power plant.

The funds are being awarded under the REPowerEU plan and will support the energy transition as well as climate and environmental protection in Poland. The EU Recovery and Resilience Fund and InvestEU programs also support strategic energy projects in Poland.

Poland could receive approximately 60 billion zloty from the modernization fund for the energy transition by 2030. These significant financial resources will enable the country to realize its ambitious renewable energy expansion targets.

Market potential and economic prospects

Klaus Pötter of ABO Energy describes the market outlook in Poland as very positive. The country is experiencing high economic growth and has a significant electricity demand of approximately 160 terawatt hours. The previous dominance of coal is currently undergoing a fundamental transformation, opening up significant business opportunities for renewable energy developers.

The regulatory framework is continuously improving. The Polish auction system offers project developers long-term price security through contracts for difference with a term of 15 years. In addition, there are extensive subsidy programs for various market segments, from prosumer plants to large-scale industrial projects.

Poland's geographical location as a bridge between Western and Eastern Europe makes it a strategically important energy market. Its proximity to Germany and other developed EU markets facilitates cross-border electricity trading and increases the economic attractiveness of energy projects.

Technological innovation and hybrid projects

ABO Energy is increasingly working on hybridizing its projects by combining wind and solar farms with battery storage. This technology combination optimizes grid integration and improves the project's economic viability. Hybrid projects can balance fluctuations in energy production and ensure a more stable power supply.

The development of hydrogen projects complements ABO Energy's portfolio. With 20 gigawatts of planned green hydrogen projects, the company is positioning itself for the future of energy storage and industrial decarbonization.

Social acceptance and citizen participation

ABO Energy places particular emphasis on the social acceptance of its projects. The company utilizes the option provided for in the Renewable Energy Sources Act to share electricity revenues with local communities. Depending on the location, communities can expect additional revenue of €20,000 to €30,000 per year per wind turbine.

The "Near & Green" format offers various participation options for residents of renewable energy parks. These include fast-charging stations for electric cars, sustainable heating concepts for municipalities, and other services that increase the local benefits of the projects.

10H relaxation? Wind power in Poland poised for a major comeback

ABO Energy's success in Poland fits into a broader European expansion strategy. The company is already active in 16 countries and has a pipeline of more than 23 gigawatts of wind, solar, and battery projects. The nearly 30 years of experience of the German parent company combined with local expertise creates the ideal conditions for further growth.

The planned relaxation of the 10H distance rule for wind power could open up new business opportunities. ABO Energy is already working hard on several wind projects and is convinced that onshore wind energy will once again play an important role in Poland in the future.

The combination of favorable regulatory conditions for solar energy, the expected breakthrough in wind energy, and the growing demand for battery storage makes Poland one of the most attractive markets for renewable energy in Europe. With its first solar park in Gubin, ABO Energy is well positioned to benefit from this dynamic development and further expand its position in the Polish market.

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