Sustainable infrastructure investor Actis has bought a 171 MW portfolio of operational onshore wind power projects in Poland from private markets investment manager CVC DIF, thus making its first foray into the Polish renewables market. The acquisition also provides a platform to grow up to 1.5 GW of onshore wind, solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery energy storage system (BESS) projects throughout the country.

Poland is making strides to phase out its reliance on coal power generation and invest more in renewable energy, and the deal is helping to achieve these goals. The relocation will reinforce Actis' presence in Central and Eastern Europe and pave the way to supporting the country's long-term efforts for clean energy as electricity demand increases due to rising industrial activity and digitalisation.

A strategic expansion into Poland.Strategic growth in Poland.

The acquisition marks another key milestone in Actis' European growth strategy and Poland is the latest market to be added to its renewable energy portfolio, said the firm. The company intends to leverage Klara Renewables for the development of a more comprehensive clean energy platform to power the country's changing electricity sector.

The platform will focus on a diversified portfolio of renewable energy including onshore wind, onshore solar PV installations and battery energy storage systems. The company believes that these solutions will be instrumental in securing the reliability of energy supply, and contribute to the decarbonisation of Poland.

The Energy Transition in Poland—Renewable Sources.

In its quest to abandon coal-dependent power generation, Poland has been making strides towards a transition to renewable energy. Poland is one of the fastest-growing markets for solar energy in the EU, and is also establishing a significant offshore wind industry, the International Energy Agency (IEA) reports.

The country is targeting to meet over 50% of its electricity demand from renewables by 2030 and progressively phase out coal fired power generation by 2040. This will call for substantial investments in new renewables to support the increasing demand for electricity from growing industrial activity, data centres and economic development.

Acquisition is in line with these national goals as it brings more renewable operational assets under long-term infrastructure ownership and will provide an opportunity for additional renewable energy development.

Details of the Klara Renewables Portfolio

Klara Renewables is made up of 6 operational onshore wind projects with a total installed capacity of 171 MW. The projects can produce combined renewable electricity of around 500 GWh per year, supplying electricity to the Polish electricity grid with no emissions.

The portfolio also contains approximately 275 MW of hybrid development potential with the addition of co-located solar PV assets and battery energy storage systems. These additions may help increase the efficiency of energy generation, better utilise the grid and boost the reliability of renewable electricity.

The hybridisation opportunities are to be expected to help Poland's changing energy system, which will involve the integration of various renewable technologies at existing locations.

Actis' Long-Life Infrastructure Strategy

Actis has a preference for investments in infrastructure in growth markets in Asia, Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa. In 2024, the company was sold to growth equity firm General Atlantic.

The long-life infrastructure approach is mainly focused on operational (or brownfield) infrastructure and its potential efficiency and performance gains through operational improvements. Placing money into already established infrastructure rather than new projects aims at lowering capital needs and yet assuring investors relatively stable long-term returns with moderate risk.

The purchase of Klara Renewables is an example of this, as the wind farms have already been built and there are opportunities for further development with hybrid renewable technologies.

Competitions for the Renewable Energy (RE) Regional Operations (RO).

The deal also adds to Actis's renewable energy presence in Central and Eastern Europe. The company already has the Rezolv Energy platform in Romania and Bulgaria and the new territory of Poland increases their regional footprint.

The combination of operational renewables with future development prospects will help Actis bolster its long-term energy transition portfolio in Europe, and contribute to the increasing energy demands for low carbon electricity in the region.

Previous Ownership and Development

The projects were ready to build and CVC DIF bought into Klara Renewables in 2020 and 2021 via its DIF VI fund.

CVC DIF managed the procurement, financing, construction and commissioning of the wind farms throughout the tenure of its ownership, and ultimately sold the assets to Actis and put them into full commercial operation.

As the projects have been successfully developed, it demonstrates the crucial importance of infrastructure investors supporting renewable energy projects to get them to the development stage, then to the operation stage and then to the long-term asset owner.

Company Statements

Jaroslava Korpanec, Actis' Head of Central & Eastern Europe, explained that energy security and energy independence continue to be priorities for governments and consumers. “The company has plans to develop and manage infrastructure that will help Poland on its path toward energy transition, while enhancing the competitiveness and resilience of the nation in the longer term,” she continued.

The transaction reflects the value that can be generated through active asset management (AAM), said Andrew Freeman, Partner and Head of Divestments at CVC DIF. He pointed out that investments were made to yield returns for investors and help grow the renewable energy infrastructure in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).