Wielowies
Wielowies: wind power serving the energy transition
Wielowieś is a wind power plant near the village of the same name in southern Poland with a capacity of 66 MW generated by 20 turbines.
The plant is part of a portfolio of three major wind farm projects (along with Gniew and EP 44) with a cumulative capacity of 132 MW that became operational in 2021.
The three plants, developed in partnership with Mirova, an investment management company 100% devoted to sustainable investment and an affiliate of Natixis, are enabling Akuo to help Poland achieve its ambitious energy transitions objectives. Still very dependent on coal, Poland wants to increase the proportion of renewables in the country’s energy mix in line with European targets, i.e. 42.5% by 2030.
Perseverance driving projects to fruition
The construction of the plants involved sixty companies and more than 500 people, whether it be for the administrative and financing part or on the site itself. However, the construction phase was entirely undertaken during the covid pandemic, which inevitably represented a major challenge in terms of both communication between stakeholders and sticking to the initial timeframe. In the end, thanks to the local partnerships that provided their knowledge of the sites and led to shared involvement, the plant finally began injecting electricity into the Polish power grid in 2021.
Local approach and commitment
During the wind farm’s construction, the emphasis was on hiring local workers, some of whom are still employed to ensure the plant’s maintenance. Akuo’s teams were also able to participate in the renovation of schools and public buildings in the municipality, thus adding a social and human dimension to the project.
