New renewable addition at Borealis’ Linz facility to help boost sustainability

Austrian energy giant VERBUND has helped install one of Upper Austria’s largest photovoltaic (PV) rooftop arrays at Borealis’ production location in Linz.

The Upper Austrian regional government has its own Photovoltaic Strategy, which aims to install 200,000 PV systems by 2030, and Borealis is committing itself to helping achieve this aim.

Erected jointly by Borealis and VERBUND, the new rooftop PV array at Borealis operations at the Chemical Park Linz boasts a module surface area of 4,794 square metres. It is thus among the top ten largest arrays of its kind in the province.

Once the facility begins producing energy, expected as early as this month, its output will be around 1 megawatt-peak (MWp). The PV array will supply around 1 gigawatt hours (GWh) annually, which equates to the electricity consumption of around 250 households.

Borealis CEO Thomas Gangl said: “Like our first solar PV project powering parts of our operations in Monza, Italy, this array complements the multiple power-purchase agreements we have signed in recent months to source renewable energy from wind farms for our production operations in Finland, Sweden, and Belgium. We are picking up the pace in sustainable power sourcing by re-inventing essentials for sustainable living.”

VERBUND CEO Michael Strugl added: “The best and probably only chance to reduce our dependency on fossil fuel imports, counteract high energy prices, and achieve our climate goals is to massively and rapidly expand renewable power generation and restructure our entire electricity system. Together with partners like Borealis, we are heading towards a cleaner and safer energy future.”