Orlen SA has brought a 42.2-Mw solar photovoltaic (PV) farm online to supply renewable energy that will help to power operations at subsidiary Orlen Lietuva AB’s 10.4-million tonne/year refinery in Mažeikiai, Lithuania.

Operable as of Aug. 11 and designed to generate about 45 gigawatt-hours (Gw-hr)/year of electricity, the Mažeikiai solar farm aims to reduce the refinery’s electricity procurement costs by about €4 million/year while supporting Orlen’s goal of increasing the share of renewables across its portfolio, the company said.

Located on site across 60 hectares on the refinery’s grounds, the solar farm consists of about 68,000 bifacial photovoltaic modules. Each module is rated at 620 w, the bifacial design of the modules enabling the capture of sunlight on both sides to improve energy output during lower-light conditions on cloudy days, according to Orlen.

The solar PV farm’s generation of about 45 Gw-hr of electricity will cover roughly 7% of the Mažeikiai manufacturing complex, where it will be dedicated to supplying power for day-to-day refinery operations, office buildings, and other critical infrastructure at the site.

Completed at an overall investment of nearly €35 million, Orlen said the solar farm project received €2.5 million in support from the European Union’s Modernization Fund.

Energy transition, efficiency

Alongside strengthening the refinery’s energy security by providing an on-site source of reliable electricity, the new solar farm advances Orlen’s commitment to advancing regional energy transition initiatives.

“This is an important step towards reducing the environmental impact of our operations and lowering the [Mažeikiai] refinery’s operating costs,” said Dariusz Zonenberg, Orlen Lietuva’s chief executive officer.

“The project will increase the share of Orlen Lietuva’s electricity demand met by its own renewable generation, strengthening the company’s competitiveness and supporting the Orlen Group’s long-term strategy,” Zonenberg added.

Orlen said the project supports its 2035 strategy to expand renewable energy capacity and improve the efficiency of the group’s industrial assets, including those located in and outside of Poland.

Electrum sp. z o.o. of Bialystok, Poland, served as main contractor on the project, demonstrating Orlen’s commitment to bringing Polish expertise to even to company assets abroad, the operator said.

Upon announcing the project in September 2024, Orlen said use of the advanced bifacial modules at the solar farm were capable of generating up to 30% more energy than conventional monofacial counterparts.

By leveraging this technology, Orlen said the solar farm would be able to achieve its targeted generation of 45 Gw-hr of electricity, equivalent to powering about 15,000 households or charging nearly half a million electric vehicles.