UNIMOT Group engages in the cluster Żywiecka Energia Przyszłości through investment into OKE

Date of publication: 18.02.21

UNIMOT S.A. has purchased 80% of shares in the company OKE (Operator Klastra Energii Sp. z o.o.), which is a coordinator of the cluster Żywiecka Energia Przyszłości (Zywiec Energy of Future – ZEF). This will enable the company to develop the business of green energy and dispersed energy in the territory of Zywiec region.

The primary objective of the operation of the energy cluster Zywiec Energy of the Future (ZEF) is construction of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) of the total capacity about 100 MW. The company OKE fulfils in the cluster the role of the coordinator, which on behalf of all the participants carries out all the projects and whose objective is to achieve energy independence of Zywiec region until 2030. Considering a dynamic development of OKE towards Renewable Energy Sources and managing the local energy market in the structure of the cluster Zywiec Energy of Future, UNIMOT S.A. has decided to purchase 80% of its shares, recognising the market on which OKE operates as perspective and attractive in terms of business.

Thanks to the investment the UNIMOT Group will actively participate in the works carried out within the ZEF cluster, among others through organisation and supplies of electricity from cluster’s generation sources and development of an investment portfolio of PV sources of larger capacity for the entities located in the area of Katowice Special Economic Zone from the territory of Zywiec district. In addition, UNIMOT Energia i Gaz from the UNIMOT Group will be involved in the programme Sunny Zywiec Region, within which it will construct prosumer PV micro-installations under the AVIA Solar brand in the project of the total capacity of over 11 MW. The purchase of shares of OKE is in line with our strategy of participating in the changes on the energy market. The changes cause that in the oncoming years the share of energy clusters and energy cooperatives in the energy market will be growing dynamically. UNIMOT possesses competences to support them in the endeavour to achieve energy independence and maximise the share of green energy in the consumption of local communities – ensures Mr Adam Sikorski, President of the Management Board of UNIMOT S.A. – After our last investment into development of generating sources of the capacity of 108 MW together with industrial infrastructure, located near Stargard Industrial Park in the north of Poland, and now through the purchase of shares in OKE, the operator of the cluster Zywiec Energy of Future from the south of Poland, we are even nearer to final customers and the willingness to satisfy their needs – adds Mr Adam Sikorski.

Andrzej Moczydłowski in turn, who is in charge of the development of business in the area of Renewable Energy Sources in the UNIMOT Group, admits that the development of dispersed energy, environmentally-friendly, local generation, distribution, storage and consumption of energy by final customers are the elements which are perfectly in line with the investment strategy of the UNIMOT Group in the RES segment. Future cooperation with municipalities gathered in the Inter-municipality Association in Zywiec, partners of the ZEF cluster, and partners from the Katowice Special Economic Zone will allow for effective implementation of projects that increase local low-emission energy security – summarises Mr Andrzej Moczydłowski.

The company OKE is also developing Wirtualna Żywiecka Elektrownia – WŻE (Zywiec Virtual Power Plant – ZVPP), which assumes cooperation with local investors — citizens, municipalities or other local government units — providing them with a possibility of balance connection of the owned sources in one virtual solar power plant. A special role in this process will be played by the coordinator of the ZEF cluster, the company OKE, as a leader and owner of the tools to operate and manage the Zywiec Virtual Power Plant. The ZVPP combined with the projects of Sunny Zywiec Region and other actions in the area of generation, distribution and trade of energy is a novel approach to managing a local energy market, which is supposed to ensure energy security of Zywiec region. — stresses Janusz Michałek PhD, Chairman of the Managing Committee of the ZEF, simultaneously the President of the Katowice Special Economic Zone. Participation of UNIMOT in the ZEF cluster also comprises the operation in the scope of electricity distribution. OKE together with one of the municipalities that participate in the cluster is involved in the process of taking over a small energy network (distribution one).