DRI sells Kozienice and Trzebinia battery projects totalling 244 MW to Actis

Actis announced on 6 October 2026 that it is acquiring two battery energy storage system (BESS) projects from developer DRI, accelerating the growth of its Polish renewable energy platform which launched only three months ago.

Two storage deals completed and signed as the platform expands

The first project, located in Kozienice, is a 112 MW / 518 MWh facility that has already been acquired and stands ready for construction by Actis. The second, a 132MW / 623MWh project in Trzebinia, has been signed and will be completed once it becomes operational.

Combined, the two assets deliver 244 MW of power capacity and 1,141MWh of energy storage with durations exceeding four hours. Actis stated that the projects are expected to rank among the first utility-scale BESS developments to reach commercial operation in Poland. Revenue visibility is underpinned by a 17-year inflation-indexed capacity market contract covering both assets.

Storage joins wind under a single system-level strategy.

The deal builds on Actis' earlier purchase of Klara Renewables, a 171MW onshore wind portfolio with roughly 275MW of hybridisation potential, which was signed in July 2026. The firm said the storage acquisitions reinforce its integrated approach, pairing renewable generation with batteries to form a system-level portfolio designed to reduce volatility and improve value capture across the power system, while also enhancing Poland's grid flexibility and its ability to absorb renewable energy. The Polish platform carries a target of 1.5GW of wind, solar and BESS capacity. More broadly, Actis has committed in excess of USD 1.1 billion across three platforms in Central and Eastern Europe.

Coal retirement and rising demand shape the investment case

Actis framed the investment around structural changes underway in the Polish power market. By 2040, Poland is expected to retire approximately 18GW of coal capacity while adding 50GW of renewables and 14GW of gas. Electricity demand is forecast to more than double by 2050, propelled by electrification in industry and transport alongside economic growth. The firm characterised Poland's shift away from coal as a significant growth opportunity for assets such as battery storage, noting supportive financial mechanisms including a strong capacity market that delivers long-term, stable cashflows, together with robust corporate PPA demand.

Executives point to grid flexibility and market growth

Jaroslava Korpanec, Head of Central and Eastern Europe at Actis, commented that the CEE region has historically been underinvested in and that decarbonisation and independent energy supply are, in the firm's view, absolutely crucial.

She noted that Poland is a major but carbon-intensive European power market that needs to move from coal to renewables while keeping the grid steady, and said the two projects will help build the grid flexibility required, supporting Poland in managing its energy transition, competitiveness and resilience. Murat Cinar, Chief Executive Officer of DRI, said battery storage is expected to play an increasingly important role in Poland's energy system as the renewables share grows.

He described Kozienice and Trzebinia as strong projects capable of providing significant flexibility to the grid and expressed satisfaction at seeing them move into their next stage with Actis, adding that the transaction reflects, in DRI's view, the strength of the company's capability to develop and advance meaningful energy projects in Europe's most important growth markets. Actis noted in its disclaimer that the statements in the announcement, including those made by Korpanec, are as of 6 October 2026 and represent the views of Actis, which is not research and should not be treated as research.