In addition to facilitating collaborative balancing, optimising production and enabling reporting of individual generating units, the project aims to automate internal processes, the company said in a press release.
ORLEN is currently seeking proposals to develop a comprehensive business concept that would also take into account the technical scope of the planned Virtual Power Plant. The company plans to select a VPP concept provider in the first quarter of 2024, with the first implementation work scheduled for 2025.
“ORLEN aims to harness the power of digitalisation by aggregating the capacities of its energy assets. The project will leverage detailed analyses of production, network, market, and weather data. By combining the collected data with state-of-the-art digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, the Group will achieve more efficient management of its energy assets,” said Marcin Piekarski, Energy Digitalisation Team Manager at ORLEN. “The Virtual Power Plant project will enhance the security of the national power grid, ensure stable energy supply, minimise the risk of energy overproduction, and, most importantly, improve production efficiency, potentially leading to reduced energy production costs in the future.”
A Virtual Power Plant (VPP) is a centralised information system designed for monitoring, controlling and efficiently managing energy resources. VPP technology gathers data on electricity production from individual generating units and manages them to minimise fuel consumption, reduce failure rates, and lower carbon emissions. This system becomes particularly relevant during times of fluctuating electricity demand.