Amazon has agreed to procure 53MW of clean energy capacity from Vortex Energy Polska/Vitol, two wind farms located in Jastrowie and Okonek, in Wielkopolskie Voivodeship in Poland. This initiative represents our first agreement in wind power in Poland; we have already agreed in renewable energy from a photovoltaic (PV) farm in Miłkowice and have PV panels atop our robotic logistics centre in Świebodzin.
This agreement also supports the Polish government's objective of decarbonising the energy sector. According to Ember European Electricity Review 2024, the share of fossil fuels in Poland's electricity production in 2023 was 61%, while the EU average share of coal in the energy mix is 12%. In the National Energy and Climate Plan from 2021 to 2030, Poland has aimed to achieve a 29.8% share of renewable energy sources in gross final energy consumption in 2030.
“Amazon has been investing and growing in Poland for over ten years. We are building a digital economy for the future that is robust and sustainable. Renewables are one of the fastest and most cost-effective ways to drive forward Poland’s energy transition,” said Sławomir Płonka, Director Regional Operations CEE at Amazon. “As the world’s largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy, we’re proud that by enabling these two wind farms, we are closer to achieving our goals and also supporting the Polish government’s ambitious plans to green its grid.”
Justine Ryan, Head of Renewables EMEA at Vitol and CEO of Vortex Energy, said: “Renewable energy is central to Europe’s decarbonisation strategy. Vortex and Amazon have the potential to make a significant contribution to reducing emissions and providing energy security through sustainable and affordable electricity in Poland. It is a strong and exciting opportunity for both companies, and Vitol and Vortex will look for additional opportunities to work together in Poland moving forward. In particular, further amendments to the 10H Act will enable new onshore wind agreements in Poland, generating long term benefits for Poland locally and nationally.”
Amazon’s investments in Poland
This year Amazon celebrates a decade in Poland, with more than PLN 20 billion (€4.5 million) of investments in the country resulting in the creation of more than 70,000 new direct and indirect jobs in 2022.
In 2021, Amazon launched a robotics fulfilment centre in Świebodzin, outfitting its roof with 3,900 PV (photovoltaic) panels spanning over 8,600 square metres, which provides renewable energy to help power the facility. The rooftop array generates 1,75 MW, enough to power the equivalent of around 480 single-family homes in Poland annually.
In 2022, Amazon signed one of Poland’s largest deals for renewable energy from a solar farm in Miłkowice, boasting an installed capacity of 87 MW. Once operational, the solar farm is expected to produce over 120,000 megawatt-hours of clean energy annually, serving the energy needs of approximately 57,000 Polish households. The solar farm in Miłkowice is expected to start producing energy as early as May 2024.
Amazon's renewables projects: Impacting local communities and the economy
Solar and wind farms enabled by Amazon globally have helped to generate an estimated $12 billion in investments in communities from 2014 through 2022, and supported 39,000 jobs in 2022 alone, according to a recently introduced economic model developed by Amazon. In Europe alone, our renewable energy projects have generated around €2.4 billion in investment, helping to contribute €723 million to the region’s GDP and supporting 3,900 jobs in 2022.
Szymon Kowalski, Vice President of the RE-Source Poland Hub Foundation, elaborated on the comprehensive benefits of wind energy: “Onshore and offshore wind power is also an extremely modern, efficient and long-term engine for the entire economy. Multiplier effects in the form of local supply chains, Polish entrepreneurs joining global supply chains for the sector, as well as professional development opportunities for thousands of employees in the area of cutting-edge technology create value that cannot be overestimated from the point of view of the economy and society. The effects of the sector’s development will also benefit future generations long after the major generating facilities have been built.”
As the world's largest corporate buyer of renewable energy, our projects are expected to generate more than 77,000 GWh (gigawatt-hours) each year, enough to power more than 19 million EU homes.
