Responsible and innovative activities of PKP Energetyka recognized with the ESG Leaders award

PKP Energetyka has become a double winner of the “ESG Leaders” competition. The experts gave the company the main “Diamond Award” in the Innovation category for the traction energy storage facility and the third “Silver Award” in the ESG Strategy category. The prestigious awards are presented by the Warsaw Stock Exchange, NN Investment Partners TFI and PwC. The organizers recognize those companies that most effectively and actively care about the environment, social issues and corporate governance.

The awards were presented after more than 100 entries were reviewed. They were handed out to 9 companies in three major categories: Strategy, Innovation, and Educational Program. The PKP Energetyka Capital Group was distinguished twice – by winning the first prize for an innovative, largest European traction energy storage facility and the third prize for developing and implementing a Sustainable Development Strategy until 2030.

“Experts’ recognition of both our strategic activities and the technological innovations being implemented is a very important signal for us that we are moving in the right direction and today we can proudly call ourselves one of the leaders of green transition in Poland. As an energy company, we perfectly understand the environmental challenges for which the business sector must also take responsibility to a large extent. Therefore, for several years we have been consistently changing PKP Energetyka in order to not only most effectively achieve our main goal, which is reliable provision of energy for the railway sector, but also to increase our positive impact on the environment and the surroundings we operate in” – stresses Beata Górniak, Member of the Management Board of PKP Energetyka.

The main award in the Innovation category was handed out to PKP Energetyka for the development and implementation of an energy storage facility dedicated to the railway sector. This innovative facility with a capacity of 5.5 MW and a useful capacity of 1.2 MWh, located in Garbce in Lower Silesia, is the largest energy storage facility operating for traction purposes in Europe. The storage facility is located near a traction substation and is able to power the passage of even the fastest train within several seconds. Since its official launch on July 1, the storage facility has already powered more than 6,000 passages of both regional and long-distance passenger trains and freight trains. The innovative solution developed by PKP Energetyka experts in cooperation with the University of Zielona Góra increases safety and quality of energy supply to the railway, and balances the power drawn from the National Power System. In the future, it will also allow a more efficient use of renewable energy sources as part of the sector's Green Railway Program, which aims to ensure that by 2030 Polish trains will be powered by 85% RES energy.

The Silver Award in the ESG Strategy category went to the PKP Energetyka Capital Group for preparing a program document entitled Sustainable Development Strategy until 2030. The Strategy was developed in a participatory manner, with the strong commitment of employees at all levels. It points to 5 key areas of action for the environment, local communities, employees and business partners. The document outlines such lines of action as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, emphasis on building a sustainable supply chain and creating an organizational culture based on diversity and inclusiveness.

The “ESG Leaders” competition is addressed to companies implementing an outstanding ESG strategy, offering innovative products and services having a positive environmental impact, as well as conducting effective information and promotional campaigns in the area of sustainable development.

The strategic partner of the initiative is the UN Global Compact Network Poland and the partners are the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Polish Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (PSIK), Polish Confederation Lewiatan, the Łukasiewicz Research Network and the Polish Bank Association (ZBP). The winners were selected by the competition’s jury composed of the experts in the field of ESG, financial markets, science and business.