ORLEN Group commissions 42.2 MW solar farm at Mažeikiai refinery
- 42.2 MW solar PV installation spans ~60 hectares and comprises nearly 68,000 bifacial 620 W modules.
- The farm is expected to generate about 45 GWh/year, meeting roughly 7% of ORLEN Lietuva’s annual electricity demand.
- Project cost nearly EUR 35 million, including EUR 2.5 million from the EU Modernisation Fund, and is forecast to reduce electricity procurement costs by about EUR 4 million a year.
- Built by Białystok-based Electrum, it is the ORLEN Group’s largest on-site renewable installation and part of the ORLEN 2035 Strategy.
Project details
ORLEN Group has brought a 42.2 MW solar PV farm online at its Mažeikiai refinery. Located within the refinery grounds, the installation covers approximately 60 hectares and comprises nearly 68,000 bifacial photovoltaic modules, each rated at 620 W, which capture sunlight on both sides to improve output in lower-light conditions.
Financial and operational impact
The facility is expected to generate about 45 GWh of electricity a year, covering around 7% of ORLEN Lietuva’s annual electricity demand and cutting the refinery’s electricity procurement costs by approximately EUR 4 million per year. The project cost nearly EUR 35 million, including EUR 2.5 million in support from the European Union’s Modernisation Fund, and will reduce operating costs while increasing the share of renewables in the Group’s asset portfolio.
Strategic and local significance
The solar farm is the ORLEN Group’s largest on-site renewable energy installation and forms part of the ORLEN 2035 Strategy to expand renewable capacity and improve industrial efficiency. Built by Białystok-based Electrum, the project reinforces ORLEN Lietuva’s role in the Lithuanian economy and underscores the Group’s continued investment in the Mažeikiai refinery, where ORLEN has invested nearly EUR 4.5 billion since 2006.
Source: ORLEN
