ORLEN Group is planning to implement a Virtual Power Plant – a technology that enables the coordination of energy generation sources across the country through a central control system. The investment will enable joint balancing, production optimisation and reporting of individual generation units, as well as provide automation of internal processes, increasing ORLEN’s competitive advantage.

Virtual Power Plant (VPP) is a digital solution that is increasingly popular among energy companies. Especially companies that, like ORLEN Group, have a large number of renewable energy sources in their portfolio. A supplier for the VPP concept will be selected in the first quarter of 2024, while the first implementation work is planned for 2025.

“The investment will be made possible through detailed analysis of production, network, market and weather data. The collected data, combined with modern digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, will allow for more efficient management of ORLEN Group’s energy assets. The virtual power plant will improve the security of the national power system, guarantee the stability of energy supply, minimise the risk of energy overproduction and, most importantly, improve production efficiency, which in the future may reduce the cost of energy produced”, says Marcin Piekarski, Head of the ORLEN Energy Digitisation Team.

A virtual power plant is a centralised IT system that is used to monitor, control and effectively manage energy resources.

The virtual power plant project is an element of the ORLEN Group Power Generation Segment Digitisation Strategy. The path adopted by ORLEN for the implementation of VPP technology ensures centralisation and integration of both RES units and conventional sources. According to ORLEN Group’s assumptions, the power potential of units that can be integrated under the VPP system will be over 16 GW in 2030.

Adrian Andrzejewski