- New platform marks Actis’ first entry into the Polish market, building on its existing presence in Central & Eastern Europe with Rezolv Energy in Romania and Bulgaria
- The new platform will target up to 1.5GW of energy capacity shared across onshore wind, solar PV, and BESS
Actis, a leading growth market investor in sustainable infrastructure, has announced that it will acquire Klara Renewables, a 171MW operating onshore wind portfolio with approximately 275MW of hybridisation potential through co-located solar PV and BESS projects, from CVC DIF. This acquisition forms the seed asset and marks the launch of Actis’ second renewable energy platform in Central & Eastern Europe. The platform aims to have up to 1.5GW in energy capacity, comprising onshore wind, solar PV, and BESS.
Klara Renewables’ portfolio consists of operational wind assets, backed by Contracts for Difference running to 2038-39, across different Polish regions, including three projects in Wielkopolska, two in Kujawy-Pomorze, and one in Podlasie. These wind assets are underpinned by Vestas turbine technology. The platform will look to create additional value by acquiring and developing further late-stage development projects, including hybrid energy projects, making use of Klara Renewables’ existing grid connections.
Although Poland still relies on coal for its domestic electricity generation (56%), the country has made notable progress with its energy transition, with wind and solar now generating 15% and 9% of the country’s electricity generation mix respectively.
According to the IEA, Poland has one of the fastest growing solar PV markets in the European Union and has also seen a strong uptake of heat pumps, while also becoming an increasingly significant player in offshore wind. The country is targeting over 50% of its electricity to be generated from renewables by 2030 and is planning to decommission coal capacity over the period to 2040, which will require a total of at least 84GW of renewable capacity by that date to keep up with growing energy demand driven by industry and digitalisation.
Jaroslava Korpanec, Head of Central & Eastern Europe at Actis, commented: 'In our view, Poland is one of the most exciting markets for energy investment in Europe, benefitting from an open, regulated electricity market and strong institutions and regulatory frameworks. We are looking forward to building a high-quality generation platform to meet that need. As energy security and independence continue to be front of mind for governments and consumers alike, we’ll be working hard to build and operate the critical assets that can help Poland manage its energy transition, support its competitiveness and bolster its resilience for the long-term.'
The launch of the platform and the acquisition of Klara Renewables grows Actis’ footprint in Central & Eastern Europe, building on its existing presence in Romania and Bulgaria via Rezolv Energy, which Actis launched in July 2022 and has now scaled to 2.3GW.
Source: Actis
