Professor Czesław Jaworski Award and Medal of the President of the Association of Polish Electrical Engineers granted to PKP Energetyka

The railway equivalents of the “Golden Lion” film awards were presented at TRAKO 2021—the largest fair event in Central and Eastern Europe dedicated to rail transport. PKP Energetyka won in two prestigious technical competitions, the results of which were announced on September 21, 2021 during the evening gala closing on the first day of the fair. The jury appreciated the innovative technical solutions applied in traction energy storage in Garbce, Lower Silesia.

The energy storage built by PKP Energetyka was recognized by the National Board of the Polish Association of Engineers and Technicians of Transportation (SITK RP)—the largest scientific and technical organization in our country, established in 1946, which brings together specialists related to railway and road transport. The railway “powerbank” operating in Lower Silesia received the Professor Czesław Jaworski Award in the “Infrastructure” category. Their innovative traction energy storage was recognized as “an outstanding achievement in the application of new electric traction technologies and equipment.” "Sincere congratulations to PKP Energetyka for the implementation of this project – innovative, eco-friendly and unique on a continental scale. We expect that the company will be building more energy storages at its traction substations. This is required by the Polish railway power network, whose load will be growing along with the development of railway in our country", commented Jan Boryczka of SITK RP, the chairman of the jury.

The traction energy storage was also recognized by the Association of Polish Electrical Engineers (SEP)—a non-governmental organization established in 1919, which brings together engineers, technicians and others more broadly connected to electrical engineering. The energy storage built by PKP Energetyka was awarded the Medal of the President of SEP. It is one of the most highly recognized awards in the field of electrical engineering in our country. It has been awarded since 1997 to particularly outstanding products created by Polish engineers and technicians. When evaluating the solutions and equipment nominated for the Medal, complex criteria are applied, including modernity, originality, usability, reliability, operational safety, as well as compliance with ecological requirements—both in terms of production and use of the product. "The energy storage at Garbce is an excellent solution to reduce the railway loads contributed by traction to the utility power network. This product goes perfectly with the European and global trends related to the development of electricity storage systems, particularly important in view of the growing share of renewable energy sources in the energy mix", stressed Jacek Nowicki, PhD, Eng., Secretary General of the Association of Polish Electrical Engineers.

The award-winning energy storage built by PKP Energetyka in Garbce is the largest facility of its kind in Europe—its power is 5.5 MW, and its useful capacity is 1.2 MWh. The storage charges slowly, with low power from the distribution network, and—when a rail vehicle appears on the tracks—the storage quickly gives away a large amount of collected energy. Its functioning improves the quality and safety of traction energy supplies on the Poznań-Wrocław railway line section and balances the power taken from the National Power System by the nearby traction substation. The railway “powerbank” consists of as many as 4,240 modern lithium-ion battery cells. The facility also uses a unique power converter operating directly on DC/DC voltage and an advanced SCADA IT system to ensure the optimal operation of the entire system. The operation of the storage in Garbce near Żmigród was inaugurated on July 1 of this year. Soon, photovoltaic panels will be built next to the storage to supply additional power to the facility, and the whole will create a Local Balancing Area (LOB). The facility in Lower Silesia is the first of about 300 storages that PKP Energetyka is planning to build all over Poland. This will be of great importance for, among other things, the Green Railway Program—stabilizing the operation of the power network by using power from renewable energy sources.

TRAKO 2021 is another edition of the largest railway fair in Central and Eastern Europe, during which PKP Energetyka wins awards and commendations. In 2019, the company received the main award in the Corporate Social Responsibility competition for its model approach to CSR issues and innovative and original best practice projects. The company was also distinguished by the “Rzeczpospolita” daily and logistyka.rp.pl website. It was then that the innovative solutions of PKP Energetyka concerning the management of the infrastructure powering the railway system were appreciated.

You can learn more about the storage in Garbce by watching a   video dedicated to this facility.