As part of a new photovoltaics (PV) park being created on a brownfield plot at the Schwechat complex, the companies are currently installing erecting a solar array that would supply power to the chemical group’s plastics producer’s facilities, potentially from the end of 2022.

The array covering a surface area of around 75,000 m² will have 10,220 individual PV modules, each with a nominal power (peak power) of 460 watt-peak (Wp). Ultimately, the park’s total installed solar power is projected to reach around 4.7 megawatt-peak (MWp), with an annual energy yield of around 5.6 gigawatt hours (GWh).

When the installation is complete, Borealis said it hopes to move closer to its goal of drawing 100% of the energy used in its own operations from renewable sources by 2030.  CEO Thomas Gangl said the use of renewable energy generated at Schwechat, where the company can produce 1 million t/y of polyolefins, will reduce annual CO₂ emissions by nearly 1,200 t.

The PV park will be the second Austrian solar project for Borealis and Verbund, complementing an earlier installation at the plastics producer’s site in Linz. In a broader partnership, the two firms intend to continue their collaboration to promote the use of renewable energy across Austria.

Author: Dede Williams, Freelance Journalist