LINZ - Polyolefins producer Borealis and Austrian energy company, Verbund have announced the installation of a new photovoltaic (PV) array at Borealis production location in Linz, Austria.
The investment is in line with the Borealis aim to enhance the sustainability of its own operations while also supporting the Upper Austria Photovoltaic Strategy for 2030.
Rooftop PV arrays are among the cleanest ways to generate renewable energy. The ample availability of large surfaces on industrial buildings make them ideal sites for such arrays. Erected jointly by Borealis and Verbund, the new rooftop PV array at Borealis operations at the Chemical Park Linz boasts a module surface area of 4,794 square meters and is therefore among the ten largest arrays of its kind in the province of Upper Austria.
Construction was completed in around six weeks. Pilot operations to optimise performance at the new PV facility started at the beginning of May 2022. Once the facility begins producing energy later this month, its output will be around 1 megawatt-peak (MWp). The PV array will supply around 1 gigawatt hours (GWh) annually; this is roughly equivalent to the electricity consumption of around 250 households. The solar power generated by the new array will be used for Borealis operations at the Chemical Park Linz. It shall enable the company to reduce the annual CO2 emissions of this location by 350 tons each year.
“The new PV array in Linz is a welcome addition to our portfolio of Energy & Climate measures aimed at increasing the share of renewables in our own production energy mix,” said Thomas Gangl, Borealis CEO. “Like our first solar PV project powering parts of our operations in Monza, Italy, this array complements the multiple power-purchase agreements we have signed in recent months to source renewable energy from wind farms for our production operations in Finland, Sweden, and Belgium. We are picking up the pace in sustainable power sourcing by re-inventing essentials for sustainable living.”
“The best and probably only chance to reduce our dependency on fossil fuel imports, counteract high energy prices, and achieve our climate goals is to massively and rapidly expand renewable power generation and restructure our entire electricity system,” added Verbund CEO Michael Strugl. “Together with partners like Borealis, we are heading towards a cleaner and safer energy future.”
