Arla opens 1,620 MW solar power plant in Poland following Ukraine-war-induced power cuts

Arla Foods has opened a 1,620 MWh per year solar power plant in its repackaging facility in Tychowo, Poland, providing 85 percent of the site’s energy consumption.

The company invested €3 million in the solar power plant.

The repackaging facility has experienced reoccurring power cuts and dropouts during the course of the war in Ukraine.

According to David Boulanger, Arla’s executive vice president and head of supply chain, the investment is sensible on all levels as it secures business continuity easier for their employees while reducing run rate costs at the site and creating a more sustainable energy source.

As the Polish energy grid relies heavily on coal, installing the solar power plant allows Arla to reduce emissions by 1,645 tons per year.

The solar power plant would also reduce Arla’s run rate cost by over 75 percent per year, which is expected to result in the investment paying itself back within approximately seven years.

The Tychowo solar power plant is Arla Foods’ latest investment in renewable energy after the company entered into a 250,000 MWh per year partnership in Denmark and installed a 2,500 MWh per year solar power plant in Bahrain.