Photo credit: hydroinvest.eu

Tauron has signed a series of power purchase agreements (PPAs) with McDonald’s Polska, ensuring that hydropower will be a key source of energy for the restaurant chain’s operations until 2030.

Under the agreement, Tauron will deliver up to 100GWh of electricity annually from its hydropower plants, alongside existing renewable contracts covering wind and solar, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.

The structure integrates multiple renewable sources within a single framework, reflecting a hybrid approach that remains relatively uncommon in the Polish market.

The contracts, signed with the McDonald’s Polska Purchasing Group, cover the period 2026–2030 and include restaurants connected directly to the distribution network as well as selected suppliers. Energy from four Tauron hydropower plants will be purchased on a pay-as-produced basis and backed by guarantees of origin linked to specific assets.

Tauron will also act as aggregator for McDonald’s renewable energy portfolio in Poland, managing multiple PPAs and providing balancing services. The company will enable additional procurement through market-based mechanisms, including products listed on the Polish Power Exchange.

“We can provide companies with flexible energy purchasing solutions tailored to their individual business needs. The PPA agreement we concluded with the McDonald’s restaurant chain is a prime example,” explained Krzysztof Czajka, Vice President of the Management Board of Tauron Sprzedaż. “Over the next five years, we will supply energy from hydroelectric power plants and other renewable sources to dozens of entities and hundreds of McDonald’s energy consumption points in Poland. We are pleased that this energy will support the long-term sustainable development of one of the most recognizable brands on the market.”

McDonald’s Poland said the inclusion of hydropower expands its energy mix as it works toward its global target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50.4% by 2030 compared with 2018 levels. The company currently operates more than 600 locations in Poland and continues to expand.

“The brand’s global ambition is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50.4% by 2030 compared to 2018,” said Jakub Woropajew, Managing Manager of Maximized Collective Deals, responsible for electricity management for the McDonald’s system in Poland. “This is a significant achievement, as we already operate over 600 McDonald’s locations in Poland, together with our franchisees, and the pace of new openings is expected to reach approximately 40 locations per year. Therefore, our collaboration with the Tauron Group and the expansion of our energy mix to include hydropower is another important step in McDonald’s energy transformation.”

News.Az 

By Ulviyya Salmanli