The development of technology directly affects the standard of living of each of us. In fact, we can no longer imagine daily functioning without solutions that were completely unimaginable only a few or a dozen years ago. Similar changes are taking place in the energy sector, especially in renewable energy sources, which are being intensively improved and developed. Solar-wind power plants are an interesting example. What is this technology based on?
Wind and solar power plant in one
A solar-wind power plant, as the name suggests, combines solutions characteristic of a standard solar power plant and a wind power plant. This technology operates in many varieties – from small, home installations to massive farms or floating sets. The last of these methods of obtaining energy are gaining more and more supporters, and countries with particularly favorable natural conditions for obtaining energy in this way are beginning to invest in offshore wind farms – including floating ones – equipped with solar panels.
An interesting investment in this regard is to be made in Italy, off the coast of Calabria. SolarDuck, New Developments and Green Arrow Capital have entered into a cooperation agreement to build a 120 MWp photovoltaic farm integrated with a 420 MW floating offshore wind power plant. In total, therefore, the installation will have a capacity of 540 MW. Similar investments are to be built in the Netherlands and Spain, among others.
The potential of the Polish offshore in the Baltic
Admittedly, there is still a long way to go to realize such advanced projects in Poland. Solar-wind power plants on the Vistula can be found on land. In the offshore area, for now we are focusing on the construction of classic offshore wind farms. According to plans, by 2030, farms allowing the production of 5.9 GW of power are to be built in the Polish waters of the Baltic Sea. In the next decade, this value is expected to rise to 11 GW. To achieve this goal, investments estimated – although there are many indications that this estimate will have to be revised – at PLN 11 billion are necessary. The first electricity from the Baltic offshore is expected to appear in our grid as early as 2026.