Ukraine's DTEK inks deal to buy 133-MW battery project in Poland

Ukrainian private energy group DTEK announced on Wednesday that it has acquired a 133-MW battery energy storage project in Poland in its first step in the Polish renewables market.

DTEK secured the opportunity through its EU-focused renewables unit, DRI, which signed a final binding share purchase agreement with Poland’s Columbus Energy to gain the right to build the battery in southern Poland.

The acquisition positions DTEK Group as one of the first companies to develop battery storage technology at scale in Poland, the company said.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

DTEK expects the agreement with Columbus to close in the coming months. Construction of the battery, subject to permitting approvals, could start in the fourth quarter of 2024, with operations expected to begin in early 2026.

The project is backed by a 17-year contract to provide energy capacity to the Polish market starting from 2027. This obligation was awarded in the 2022 Capacity Market auction held by Polish grid operator PSE, DTEK said.

The deal marks DTEK's first major infrastructure investment in Poland and is part of the group’s plan to create a pan-European energy system linking Ukraine and the EU. DTEK says that it aims to build a portfolio of 5 GW of renewable energy projects in Europe by 2030 through DRI.

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