“Diversification of the national energy production structure will gain momentum in the next years. This is one of the directions laid down in the draft 2040 Energy Policy of Poland. Renewable Energy Sources, including wind farms in the Baltic Sea, will allow fulfilment of our commitments towards the EU,” said Deputy Minister for Energy, Grzegorz Tobiszowski during a study visit organised by the Polish Wind Energy Association (PWEA) to the Głuchów and Słupia Municipalities (Łódzkie Province), where wind farms owned by three investors have been built. The visit was held on 8 May 2019.
“Diversification of the national energy production structure will gain momentum in the next years. This is one of the directions laid down in the draft 2040 Energy Policy of Poland. Renewable Energy Sources, including wind farms in the Baltic Sea, will allow fulfilment of our commitments towards the EU,” said Deputy Minister for Energy, Grzegorz Tobiszowski during a study visit organised by the Polish Wind Energy Association (PWEA) to the Głuchów and Słupia Municipalities (Łódzkie Province), where wind farms owned by three investors have been built. The visit was held on 8 May 2019.In accordance with Deputy Minister Tobiszowski, the Polish energy mix in the years to come will primarily gain new wind and PV capacity. This is to be enabled by the planned amendment to the Renewable Energy Sources Act. The amendment will result in 2019 auction purchases of electricity allowing for the construction of more than 3.4 GW of new renewable capacity, of which 2.5 GW in wind farms and approximately 700 MW in PV farms.
Renewable capacity already in operation in Poland coupled with capacity under construction following the 2018 auction and scheduled for the 2019 auction will reach 13.7 GW in total. Ministry of Energy estimates that the combined production of RES sources in 2020 will amount to almost 35.4 TWh. This translates into 19.23 percent RES share as compared to the 19.1 percent required for the electricity sector. It must be emphasized that the data do not take into account the RES auctions that may possibly be held in 2020 as well as prosumers, i.e. the rapidly growing RES micro-generation sector (65 thousand prosumers and 415 MW of generation capacity as of Q1 2019), and do not take into account RES installations in development, i.e. small-scale biogas and hydropower plants operating under the feed-in tariff (FIT) and feed-in premium (FIP) schemes.
Offshore wind farms in the Baltic Sea are to aid the achievement of the 2030 EU targets. The draft “Energy Policy of Poland until 2040” provides for construction of 10.3 GW of such capacity. Ministry of Energy is currently working on legal assumptions for the development of offshore wind energy.
”The Offshore Wind Energy Act should enable the establishment of a well-founded offshore wind energy sector in Poland after 2020. National regulations in their current wording do not ensure effective development of RES policy, in particular as regards RES support scheme and energy mix with respect to offshore wind energy,” Grzegorz Tobiszowski argued.
During the study visit of PWEA, Deputy Minister of Energy Grzegorz Tobiszowski drove to the top of the wind turbine at the Głuchów Wind Farm – belonging to the Novenergia group.
PWEA estimates demonstrate that the onshore wind energy potential in Poland exceeds 12 GW, i.e. twice the installed capacity as at the end of 2018. Once the spatial development plans for maritime areas are redesigned, the Baltic Sea could host 12 to 14 GW.
Electricity produced onshore and – in the future – offshore could cover some of the gap created by decommissioning of worn out baseload capacity. This will increase energy security of the country and decrease required electricity import. Furthermore, wind sources will provide inexpensive electricity required for further development of the Polish economy. Onshore wind, today being the least expensive electricity production technology that soon will not require support, will play a crucial role,” explained Janusz Gajowiecki, PWEA President.
Wind energy development not only entails benefits for the economy and revenues for the state budget, but also support for local governments.
”The tax from 45 MW in two onshore wind farms operating in the municipality substantially increases our investment capacity. It amounts to approximately PLN 1.7 million, 8 percent of the entire budget,” said Jan Słodki, Head of the Głuchów Municipality.
”We expect further wind farms to be built in our municipality in the future, enabling us to further develop our infrastructure,” he added.