PKP Energia Kolejowa (PKP Energetyka) achieves 800,000 tons of annual CO2 reduction through an AI-powered renewable energy management platform
About Company
PKP Energia Kolejowa (PKP Energetyka) is Poland's premier energy supplier to the railway network and a key driver of the country's sustainable transportation transformation. As the integrator and coordinator of the Green Railway® Program established by the Railway Energy Efficiency Center, the company powers the entire Polish rail infrastructure while pioneering climate-neutral solutions. Operating Europe's largest railway traction energy storage facility that supplies nearly 1,500 monthly train journeys, PKP Energia Kolejowa manages complex energy distribution across passenger and freight services throughout Poland. With ambitious goals to achieve 85%renewable energy share by 2030 and ultimately 100%, the company positions itself at the forefront of innovative energy solutions and infrastructure development in the railway sector.
Services and Technology
Challenge
PKP Energia Kolejnowa (PKP Energetyka) faced un precedented challenges in managing Poland's ambitious energy transformation toward renewable sources for railway operations. The company needed to balance highly variable renewable energy production from solar and wind sources with the demanding and unpredictable energy consumption patterns of trains operatingacross the national network.
The primary challenge was coordinating distributed renewable energy sources with railway power demands that operate in short, high-power bursts rather than continuous consumption. Trains require massive energy spikes during acceleration, followedby periods of no load, while renewable sources like solar and wind are inherently "capricious" with time-varying availability and power output.
Without integrated predictive analytics and real-time data processing capabilities, PKP Energia Kolejowa (PKP Energetyka) couldn't effectively manage its planned network of 300 energy storage facilities, couldn't predict renewable energy production accurately enough tobalance grid stability, and was missing critical opportunities to optimize energy distribution that would enable achieving their ambitious Green Railway®Program goals and substantial CO2 emission reductions.
Solution
Advanced Cloud Analytics Platform Implementation: Elitmind designed and implemented a comprehensive Microsoft Azure-based energy management platform, enabling PKP Energia Kolejowa to process multi-source renewable energy data in real time. The solution integrates with the existing SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition)system, bridging operational technology (OT) and IT infrastructure to create a unified energy management ecosystem.
AI-Powered Renewable Energy Forecasting: The platform utilizes Azure Machine Learning algorithms to build sophisticated forecasting models for photovoltaic panel energy production, integrating data from multiple external partners, including the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management for weather data, PV panel data acquisition companies, and photovoltaic farm owners. The system analyzes weather patterns, historical production data, and real-time IoT sensor information to optimize renewable energy distribution and storage strategies.
Comprehensive Data-Driven Energy Management: By implementing Microsoft Power BI, embedded with mobile capabilities, the platform enables data-driven decision-making across the entire organization. The solution processes data from IoT systems, provides analytical interpretation, and delivers business intelligence through user-friendly dashboards that show price forecasting, energy load analysis, and operational performance metrics, accessible to over 300 users across business units.
Results
The implementation delivered transformative results, positioning PKP Energia Kolejowa as a global leader in sustainable railway energy management and innovation. The company achieved significant environmental impact while establishing operational excellence inrenewable energy coordination.
PKP Energia Kolejowa now operates with a unified analytics platform serving the entire organization,enabling sophisticated energy forecasting, real-time load balancing, and strategic planning for sustainable railway operations. The solution provides predictive analytics capabilities that support the management of Europe's largest railway energy storage facility and the coordination of planned 300 storage facilities across Poland.
800,000 tons annual CO2 emissions reduction achieved (2021-2030) - equivalent to 34,000 hectares of forest, 3times larger than Białowieża National Park
1,500+ train journeys monthly powered by Europe's largest railway traction energy storage facility operating on 3 kV DC network
300+ users equipped with Power BI analytics and mobile reporting capabilities across all business units
Tailored for success
"Microsoft cloud technology is at the heart of the solution that will prepare us to implement the Polish Green Railway® Program. The combination of innovative energy company forces with Microsoft cloud technology enables PKP Energetyka to collect, manage, process, and analyse data from various sources using a user-friendly interface. The comprehensive solutions for managing distributed energy sources and securing appropriate energy amounts for railway needs make our company technologically ready for Program implementation." - Maciej Rudko, Director of Financial Planning and Analysis Office, PKP Energetyka.
"The challenges of this project were in many areas, from data integration with IoT systems, their appropriate analytical interpretation and providing specialist knowledge in building a forecast model. We utilised the best that Azure Cloud and Power BI offer: flexibility and high performance at reasonable costs. The good atmosphere and professional team of PKP Energetyka fostered joint creativity." - Robert Woźniak, CEO Elitmind
"We assumed that we want to be in the world's top league of infrastructure solution providers. We would not have achieved this goal without strong support for innovation areas." - Marek Kleszczewski, Member of Management Board, PKP Energetyka.
Our Approach
We set the highest standards for every project, positioning our clients as industry leaders through cutting-edge technology solutions. For PKP Energetyka, this meant creating Europe's most advanced railway energy management platform, establishing them as pioneers in sustainable transportation technology and renewable energy integration.
Rather than simply delivering technical features, we concentrate on achieving measurable business impact and environmental results. Our collaboration with PKP Energetyka demonstrates this philosophy through concrete outcomes: 800,000 tons of CO2 reduction and the successful management of over 1,500 monthly train journeys through intelligent energy forecasting.
Every solution we implement meets the highest standards of performance, reliability, and user experience. The PKP Energetyka platform exemplifies our quality commitment through the seamless integration of Azure Machine Learning, IoT systems, and Power BI analytics, creating a robust foundation for Poland's Green Railway® Program.
We maintain transparent communication about challenges, timelines, and realistic expectations throughout every project. With PKP Energetyka, we openly addressed the complexity of integrating IoT data sources, weather forecasting, and renewable energy prediction while ensuring that all stakeholders understood both the opportunities and constraints.
We approach every partnership with empathy, understanding our clients' unique pressures and objectives while fostering collaborative relationships. Our team worked closely with PKP Energetyka's professionals, creating an atmosphere of joint creativity that enabled innovative solutions for sustainable energy management.
When faced with complex technical challenges, we persist in finding innovative solutions that drive success. The PKP Energetyka project required coordinating multiple data sources, external partners, and advanced forecasting models - challenges we transformed into opportunities for breakthrough innovation in renewable energy management.