Prince William visited Sunly, an Estonian renewable energy company, to explore how hybrid energy parks are enhancing energy security and reducing dependence on Russian fossil fuels. This visit is part of a broader trip that included meetings with British troops stationed under NATO’s Operation Cabrit.
The visit comes just weeks after the Baltic states, including Estonia, permanently disconnected from the Russian power grid and integrated into the European energy system. At Sunly’s offices, the Prince was shown the company’s flagship Risti Energy Park, a €335 million investment that represents the largest solar installation in the Baltics. This hybrid energy park exemplifies Sunly’s approach to combining solar, wind, and battery storage systems to address critical energy challenges in Europe.
The Risti Energy Park, which has a capacity of 244MW, will provide up to 7% of Estonia’s total electricity once completed. The hybrid model addresses one of the key issues facing renewable energy generation—wastage. Despite record levels of renewable generation in Europe, significant amounts of clean energy are wasted due to inflexible grids and limited storage capacity. In Estonia alone, despite a 50% increase in solar power generation last year, there were 236 hours where solar electricity prices dropped to zero or even negative levels.
In the UK, similar challenges are being faced, with the government paying Scottish wind farms £1bn to shut down turbines in a bid to prevent grid overload. For every megawatt of wasted renewable energy, more fossil fuels are burned, further extending reliance on Russian gas.
Sunly’s hybrid energy parks combine solar, wind, and battery storage at a single location, increasing efficiency and reducing energy wastage. Martin Kruus, co-founder and chairman of Sunly, explained, “Wind and solar energy are complementary as they peak at different times. By co-locating these different energy sources, the overall energy output becomes more stable and increases to 50%, compared to just 15% for solar-only or 30% for standalone wind farms.”
During the visit, the Prince also received an update on how Sunly is collaborating with authorities to introduce zonal pricing. This initiative allows businesses and households near energy parks to benefit from reduced electricity prices, potentially cutting costs by up to 50%.
Priit Lepasepp, co-founder and CEO of Sunly, emphasized the strategic importance of hybrid energy parks, especially in the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine. “The war in Ukraine has demonstrated the vulnerabilities of energy systems reliant on fossil fuel imports. What we’re building here isn’t just energy infrastructure – it’s a green shield for national security. Unlike gas, which depends on global supply chains, solar and wind continue generating power even when infrastructure is damaged,” he said. “The Risti Energy Park is designed to maintain a limited power supply even in worst-case scenarios – such as war or extreme weather conditions.”
The visit also followed Sunly securing €62 million in financing from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and other investors, marking a significant milestone for the company as it expands its renewable energy projects in the region.
