Electrum

Nearly 290,000 panels and 450 inverters – that is the total number of devices installed across two projects we are executing as the General EPC Contractor for Energa from the ORLEN Group. These are the PV Kotla (Lower Silesia) and PV Łosienice (Pomerania) photovoltaic farms. We have completed the key stage: the installation of all devices. Now we’re awaiting grid connection. Once fully operational, the power plants will supply clean energy to nearly 85,000 households.

PV Kotla in Numbers

The PV Kotla farm, located in the Głogów district, has an installed capacity of 130 MW, comprising 222,192 photovoltaic panels and 355 inverters. This facility covers an area of 183 hectares, equivalent to about 260 football pitches. The project involved 550 workers, with a peak of 310 people on-site simultaneously.

“An impressive achievement of this project is that between June and December 2024, we installed as much as 100 MW of PV structures and modules. This is a truly record-breaking pace, which posed a significant logistical challenge for the entire team,” says Żaneta Łukaszewicz, Project Manager at Electrum.

HV Line Under the Oder River Bed – A Spectacular Challenge in the PV Kotla Project

The project includes, among other tasks, the construction of a nearly 14-kilometer-long high-voltage (110 kV) cable line. Its key element is a 970-meter directional drill under the Oder River – the first of its kind in Poland for a PV project. The drilling pipes necessary for the conduit weighed 55 tons, which was just one of the many challenges of this project. The biggest one? Geology.

“The most significant challenge during execution turned out to be the difficult geological conditions along the drilling route,” says Magdalena Janusz, Construction Manager at Electrum. “Despite previously conducted geological surveys, we encountered swelling clays, which significantly complicated the work. It was necessary to modify the drilling technology and implement additional safeguards to ensure the stability of the borehole and a safe passage under the terrain obstacle.“

Thanks to the team’s commitment, the construction of the cable line was successfully completed, and the measurements yielded positive results. The next step will be the energization of the station.

Once fully operational, PV Kotla will join the select group of PV installations in Poland with an installed capacity exceeding 100 MW.

PV Łosienice in Numbers

PV Łosienice is a facility under construction in the Kościerzyna district in Pomerania. Its installed capacity is 39.9 MW, delivered by over 64,500 PV panels and 95 inverters. The farm occupies an area of 43 hectares.

We commenced work on the construction site in December of last year, and the first deliveries of support structures arrived in mid-January. The installation is now ready for grid connection, commissioning, and necessary tests.

Summary

Both investments – PV Kotla and PV Łosienice – are important steps towards increasing the share of renewable energy sources in Poland’s energy mix. Thanks to the dedication of the project and construction teams, we are nearing the moment when these modern installations will begin producing green energy at full scale.

We are delighted to announce that Electrum is leading the Polish consortium participating in the international FlexBIT project under the Clean Energy Transition Partnership (CETPartnership) call.

The FlexBIT project is being implemented in collaboration with partners from Malta, Greece, Poland, Italy, and Germany. As part of this initiative, we are developing an innovative digital platform for energy management in microgrids, enterprises, and energy communities. This marks an upcoming revolution in energy management for industrial facilities, commercial sites, as well as residential complexes.

 

FlexBIT Project – A Key Step Toward Decarbonization

The FlexBIT platform will collect data and manage distributed energy resources (DERs) capable of flexibly responding to energy balancing needs – both within microgrids (e.g., industrial sites) and the broader distribution grid. This includes renewable energy sources (RES), energy storage systems, and controllable loads (such as production machinery in factories) that can be turned on/off or adjusted as needed.

The tool will enable more efficient balancing, mitigate grid congestion issues, and enhance self-consumption within energy communities and microgrids.

Within the FlexBIT project, Electrum’s team is responsible for designing the information and communication technology (ICT) system and developing operational rules compliant with current regulations.

We will also ensure seamless interoperability between all system components. Rigorous testing will validate the platform’s functionality, culminating in a real-world demonstration. The Polish pilot sites include the alu-frost manufacturing facility and Electrum’s headquarters (serving as a multi-level office building case study, featuring a 24/7 dispatch center and server room).

We believe this initiative will deliver scalable solutions to optimize local energy systems, driving Europe’s decarbonization efforts forward.

 

Core Objectives and Functionalities of the FlexBIT Platform

• Delivering a suite of services, including energy balancing, grid congestion management, and support for self-consumption in microgrids and renewable energy-based communities (RES + storage systems).
• Developing advanced energy management algorithms to optimize consumption, plan storage and energy transfers, and enhance grid stability – while boosting renewable integration. These algorithms prioritize cost, energy, and environmental efficiency without compromising safety or reliability.
• Leveraging AI and edge computing for real-time generation and demand forecasting.
• Enabling interoperability tools to ensure seamless integration of the FlexBIT platform across diverse environments and with third-party systems.
• Designing, deploying, and testing innovative solutionsfor energy balancing, grid collaboration, and distribution network support through flexibility service activation.
• Implementing distributed ledger technologies(e.g., blockchain) and smart contracts technologies to secure and transparently manage energy transactions. This approach optimizes the use of grid-balancing resources while maintaining microgrid interoperability.

 

Electrum’s Role in the FlexBIT Project

The Electrum team leads the development of the system architecture and ensures its compliance with current regulatory frameworks. In addition, this includes analyzing technical and functional requirements, defining data exchange standards for energy services, and designing the overall system architecture while addressing stakeholder needs.

The second pillar of our involvement focuses on technological advancement and practical implementation of the FlexBIT platform. We are developing an interoperable ICT architecture, integrating AI algorithms, edge computing, and blockchain technologies with smart contracts.

For testing, we utilize our proprietary EMACS (Energy Management and Control System) tool, which combines traditional SCADA/EMS functionalities with advanced business analytics.

Electrum is also responsible for:

• Assessing the system’s impact and scalability,
• Conducting economic and social benefit analyses,
• Collaborating internationally on solution evaluation methodologies,
• Driving future commercialization efforts.

Our R&D team – comprising IT architects, software developers, data scientists, and electrical engineering specialists – supports all project activities. A key focus is developing interoperability tools to ensure seamless operation of the FlexBIT platform across diverse environments.

FlexBIT brings us closer to achieving a sustainable energy future. Moroover, collaboration with international partners enables crucial knowledge exchange, which is fundamental for realizing our ambitious goals.

 

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FlexBIT Project Consortium Members

The FlexBIT project brings together the following partners:

Poland:

• Electrum sp. z o.o. (Electrum) – National consortium leader
• Wrocław University of Science and Technology
• Systems Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences

Italy:

• University of Rome Tor Vergata (UNITOV)
• Next Multiservice s.r.l.
• University of Palermo (UNIPA)

Malta:

• University of Malta (UM)

Greece:

• University of Patras
• Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH)

Germany:

• Fraunhofer Society for the Advancement of Applied Research (IFF) – International consortium leader
• aRTE Möbel GmbH
• Aue Bestattungen GmbH