Energy in Poland

The Polish energy sector is the sixth largest in Europe. The scale of energy consumption in 1996–2015 increased from 139,593 GWh to 161,438 GWh.[1] According to the data of Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne (PSE),[2] electricity production in October 2020 amounted to 13,553 GWh; domestic consumption amounted to 14,798 GWh.

The Polish energy mix in 2021 is dominated by hard coal (approx. 48%) and lignite (24%). When it comes to green energy, wind installations had the highest contribution of 9%. Other renewable energy sources played a minor role of only 1%, but they are the ones that show the greatest growth dynamics.[3] The future plan is to generate at least 50% of electricity from renewable sources by 2040, by which time coal will cease to generate electricity.

Poland's 2040 energy plan

PEP2040 is a government plan for the Polish fuel and energy sector, which aims for 50% zero-emissions by 2040. It envisions building offshore wind farms and commissioning a nuclear power plant.[4] The draft was presented in September 2020, aiming to tackle climate change, energy security, and a just transition.[5] Poland is considering 6–9 GW of nuclear power, to be operational by 2040.[6]

Energy statistics
2020 energy statistics[7]
Production capacities for electricity
(billion kWh)
TypeAmount
Fossil fuel330.43
Wind power44.72
Biomass24.84
Hydro8.28
Solar5.80
Total414.07
      
Electricity
(billion kWh)
CategoryAmount
Consumption149.20
Production145.93
Import20.62
Export7.36
      
Natural Gas
(billion m3)
Consumption21.46
Produce5.67
Import16.63
Export0.70
      
Crude Oil
(barrels per day)
Consumption254,660,000
Production10,370,000
Import197,870,000
Export2,190,000

CO2 emissions:
279.22 million tons

Fossil fuels

Coal
Main article: Coal mining in Poland

In 2009 Poland produced 78 megatonnes (Mt) of hard coal and 57 Mt of brown coal. As of 2020, extraction is becoming increasingly difficult and expensive, and has become uncompetitive so reliant on government subsidies.[8][9] In September 2020, the government and mining unions agreed a plan to phase out coal by 2049 which coincides with 100th anniversary of Karol Wojtyła being assigned to st. Florian's parish in Kraków,[10][11] with coal used in power generation falling to negligible levels in 2032.[12]

Coal and the environment

Coal mining has far-reaching effects on local water resources. Coal mining requires large amounts of water. Mining activities have dropped the water level of Lake Ostrowskie by almost two meters in the Kuyavia–Pomerania and the lakes in the Powidz Landscape Park. According to Poznań's University of Agriculture, the water drainage in the Kleczew brown coal mining areas has formed craters in the area.[13] Statistics from Eurostat shows that Poland accounts for 30% of the European Union's annual consumption of coal.[14]

Ten coal power stations in Poland and Germany account for 13 per cent of the EU’s total emissions and 25% of all emissions from the power sector in 2022.[15]

Coal and the public

In April 2008, five thousand people demonstrated in Kruszwica to protect cultural heritage and the nature reserve at Lake Gopło. This was the first protest of its kind in the country's history. Gopło Millennium Park (Nadgoplański Park Tysiąclecia) is protected by the European Union's Natura 2000 program and includes a major bird sanctuary. The Tomisławice opencast mine (less than 10 kilometers away from the Kruszwica mine) was due to open in 2009.[13]

In 2021 demonstrations took place with coal workers protesting against the EU plans to close coal as an energy source[16] and later to close the Turow brown coal mine.[17]

Coal and business

The Bełchatów Power Station in the Łódź region supplies almost 20% of Poland's energy. It is the largest brown coal power plant in Europe and is the world's most polluting power plant.

Gas

During the April 2022 Russia–European Union gas dispute, Russia cut off natural gas deliveries to Poland after demanding to be paid in Russian rubles during currency disruptions caused by the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[18]

In September 2022 a gas pipeline connecting Poland with Denmark, allowing gas from Norway to pass through to Poland was commissioned.[19]

Electricity
Poland electricity generation by source

In 2018 48% of electricity produced in Poland came from hard coal, 29% from brown coal, 13% from renewable sources (mostly wind power) and 7% from natural gas.[20] In parts of 2020, electricity costs in Poland were the highest in Europe.[21]

Renewable energy
Wind turbines in Wałdowo
Years in which the last three renewable power levels achieved
AchievementYearAchievementYearAchievementYear
5%199310%201115%2019[7]

Renewable energy includes wind, solar, biomass and geothermal energy sources.

A binding European Union resolution, the Renewable Energy Directive 2009, stipulates a 15% renewable energy target for total energy use in Poland by 2020. According to the Polish National Renewable Energy Action Plan, the 2020 figure is set to exceed this target by 0.5% at 15.5% of overall energy use, broken down as 19.1% of total electricity consumption, 17% in the heating and cooling sector, and 10.1% in the transport sector.[22]

As of 2014–2015 renewable energy provided around 10% of total primary energy supply in Poland as well as around 13% of total electricity generation.[23]

Progress towards targets
Renewable energy progress report
2013[24] 2014[24] 2015[25] 2016[25] 2017[25] 2018[25] 2019[26] 2020[26] 2021[26]
Renewable energy share of heating and cooling sector 14.07% 13.95% 14.54% 14.68% 14.48% 14.56% 22,00% 22.14% 21.03%
Renewable energy share of electricity sector 10.73% 12.40% 13.43% 13.36% 13.09% 13.03% 14.36% 16.24% 17.17%
Renewable energy share of transport sector 6.03% 5.67% 5.62% 3.92% 4.20% 5.63% 6.20% 6.58% 5.66%
Renewable energy share of total energy consumption 11.34% 11.45% 11.74% 11.27% 10.90% 11.16% 15.38% 16.13% 15.62%

As of year end 2014 Poland had achieved an 11.45% share of renewable energy use as a percentage of overall energy usage. The overall 2014 share breaks down as 13.95% of the heating and cooling sector, 12.40% of the electricity sector and 5.67% of the transport sector.

Biomass and waste

As of 2015 Biomass and waste was the largest source of renewable energy in Poland providing an estimated 8.9% of total primary energy supply (TPES) in that year and an estimated 6.1% of electricity generation.[23] In 2019 there were 1,142 MW installed capacity power.[27]

Solid biomass is the most important source by volume, providing fuel for heat and power plants or consumed directly for industrial or household heat requirements. Biogasses are also used in heat and power plants as well whilst waste is mainly used as a fuel in industry.[23] In 2014 0.7 Mtoe of biofuels were used in transport, 81% as biodiesel and 19% as biogasoline, making up 5% of the total energy consumption in the transport sector in 2014.[23]

Wind power
Main articles: Wind power in Poland and Wind power in the European Union
EU and Poland wind energy capacity (MW)[28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35]
No Country 2022 2021 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998
-EU-27188,892[36] 142,042[35] 128,751[37] 117,384[37] 105,69693,95784,07474,76764,71256,51748,06940,51134,38328,59923,15917,31512,8879,6786,453
9Poland8,256[38]7,306[38]5,782[35]5,100[35] 3,834[37]3,390[37]2,4971,6161,107725544276153836363270000

Wind power is estimated to have provided 6.6% of total electricity generation in 2015.[23] The total wind power grid-connected capacity in Poland was 8,857.2 MW as of 30 june 2023.[39][38]

The Polish NREAP plan is targeting 6,700 MW of wind power by 2020 whilst EWEA's 2009 forecast suggests a higher wind capacity of 10–12 GW is possible.[40]

The total capacity in Poland was 6,293.9 MW as of 1 October 2020.[38] The Polish government had plans to reach 2,000 MW in wind power capacity and a 2.3% share of wind generation in domestic energy consumption by 2010.[41] By the end of 2010, the capacity stood at 1,107 MW.[42] If Poland had the same wind power density as Denmark, there would have been 23 GW of wind power by the end of 2008.[43]

Offshore wind

In September 2020, the government announced a 130 billion zloty (£26.5 billion) plan to invest in offshore wind.[10]

Poland's "Offshore Wind Act" came into force in 2020.[44] The main purpose of the Act is to set the framework for a dedicated subsidy scheme for offshore wind projects. However, it also addresses other relevant issues pertaining to the development and operation of offshore projects.[45]

According to Polish Wind Energy Association (PWEA), offshore wind farms in the Baltic Sea with an overall capacity of 5.9 GW are set to "receive support under a two-sided contract for difference between the investor and the regulator. Awarding support under this formula will be time-limited until the end of June 2021." In a second phase, contracts are planned to be awarded by auctions. The first is to take place in 2025. The PWEA said that support will be available for projects with a total capacity of 2.5 GW in each of the auctions.[46] By 2050, Poland wants a massive 28 GW in offshore sector, which would make Poland the largest operator of offshore wind in the Baltic Sea.[47]

On 1 July 2020 representatives of the Polish government and Polish wind energy industry signed a “Letter of Intent on cooperation for development of offshore wind power in Poland”. The letter acknowledges the role of offshore wind in meeting the European Union's Green Deal objectives while increasing the security of energy supply and reducing Poland's CO2 emissions.[48]

In its National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) Poland identified offshore wind as one of key technologies to meet its goals for renewable energy for 2030. Offshore wind has also been described as strategic in the draft of Poland's Energy Policy until 2040. It will help diversifying the Polish national power generation structure that today heavily depends on coal.[49]

Hydroelectric power
Name Location Coordinates Capacity (MWe) Type Ref
Żarnowiec Pomorskie 680 pumped storage [50]
Żar Śląskie 500 pumped storage [51]
Solina Solina 200 pumped storage [52]
Włocławek Kujawsko-Pomorskie 160 river dam [53]
Żydowo Zachodniopomorskie 150 pumped storage [54]
Niedzica Małopolskie 92.75 pumped storage [55][56]
Dychów Lubuskie 90 pumped storage [57]
Rożnów Małopolskie 50 run of the river [58][59]
Grajówka Lubuskie 2.79 run of the river [60][61]
Future planned plants
Mloty Dolnośląskie 750 pumped storage [56][62]

In 2014 there were 2,364 MW installed capacity of hydroelectric power as well as 1,406 MW pumped storage capacity.[63] In 2015 hydroelectricity generated approximately 1.1% of total electricity in Poland.[64] In 2019 there were 2,391 MW installed capacity of hydroelectric power.[27]

Solar power
Main article: Solar power in Poland

In 2019, the Polish government launched a scheme called "Mój Prąd",[65] which is dedicated to supporting the development of prosumer energy, and specifically supporting the segment of photovoltaic (PV) micro-installations. The budget of the program is currently PLN 1.1 billion.[66]

As a result, in recent years there has been a significant increase in power in this segment of the energy sector. The total solar photovoltaics (PV) grid-connected capacity in Poland was 14,668.1 MW as of 31 july 2023.[67][68]

PV in Poland (MWpeak)[69][70][71][72][73][74][75][76][77][78][79][80][81][82][83][68]
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2020 2021 2022
0.3 0.4 0.6 1 1 21.83.44.229.9 110.9 193.9 287 486.5 3960 7670 12189

Air quality
Air quality information on PM10 displayed in Katowice, Poland. Warning limit 50 μg/m3

The PM10 general warning limit is 100 μg/m3 in Poland. Some major cities in Poland have lower limits: Katowice, Krakow, Warsaw, Wroclaw. [84]

Global warming

On November 4, 2021, Poland signed the 'Global Coal to Clean Power Transition Statement.

April 2022 Jacek Sasin, minister for state assets and a deputy prime minister, said that the Russia-Ukraine war made it necessary for Poland to review an earlier energy strategy which assumed the closedown of coal energy [85]

See also

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