Urgent regulatory changes and streamlined investment process may enable Poland to fulfil the EU climate requirements laid down in Fit for 55.

Tens of hours of discussions among experts, several panels and workshops, and the largest meeting of representatives of green electricity producers onshore and offshore, the government and local governments — the largest in history — was held traditionally in Serock.

PWEA2021 was attended by almost 1,000 participants related to wind energy. This demonstrates how important wind energy development in Poland is, and the scale of interest in new investments, said Janusz Gajowiecki, President of the Polish Wind Energy Association, PWEA2021 host.

PWEA2021 resulted in development of a discussion and cooperation model not only between companies from the supply chain, but also between entrepreneurs and the government and regulators.

This is a very important place for us. It is here where the first ideas were born, where we exchanged experiences and worked on regulations. Today we discuss real matters, construction process, infrastructure. PWEA conference is the mecca of the Polish wind energy sector, emphasized Zbigniew Gryglas, Undersecretary of State in Ministry of State Assets and Governmental Representative for Offshore Wind Development.

Participants of debates and discussion panels noted that the wind energy industry in Poland may grow only on the basis of stable regulations and predictable legislation. In their opinion these factors will enable the creation of a sustainable economic ecosystem centered around onshore and offshore wind electricity producers.

Enterprises producing for the RES industry need stability, which I understand as an uninterrupted flow of orders from the wind energy sector. This will be guaranteed by regulatory stability and investment plan ensuring long-term implementation. We cannot allow the situation that occurred in the onshore sector, where investments have been brought to halt following a temporary rise in demand, destroying the supply chain, to happen again, emphasized Sebastian Jabłoński, CEO of Respect Energy.

However, today representatives of international companies agree that opportunities for wind energy development have just opened in Poland.

The moment is very exciting for renewable energy development in Poland. The government is promoting its growth. Both onshore and offshore wind faces great perspectives, assures Nils de Baar, CEO of Vestas Northen & Central Europe, the global leader in wind turbine production.

 

These perspectives are described in the strategic climate package, Fit for 55 — a tremendous challenge for Poland to achieve.

The package will enter into force in a few years. The strategy of the PGE Group assumes a substantial reduction of CO2 emissions to start with, followed by zero-emission footprint. We will modify our strategy and adapt it to national and international treaties. The increase in the share of RES in energy production to 31 percent is a very ambitious plan. We need appropriate regulatory measures to achieve it, empathised Paweł Śliwa, PGE Vice-President for Innovation.

Regulations, not investments capabilities, are the key obstacle to green energy development in Poland — entrepreneurs and representatives of the government agree.

The government took a series of measures that are being implemented as we speak. In the last month the Sejm adopted an act on the increase of the share of RES in the next years, including extension of the auction scheme to 2027. Currently, we are also discussing with the President of the Energy Regulatory Office the organisation of additional auctions in 2021, for the last ones, in May and June, did not exhaust the full volume, Ireneusz Zyska, Secretary of State in Ministry of Climate and Environment, admits.

The second key segment, whose growth will change the Polish energy sector, is offshore wind, having a potential of further 28 GW that could be installed by 2050. With the appropriate support, wind from the Baltic Sea can contribute even more to the energy security of the country and to consolidation of the Polish economy through creation of a modern and stable supply chain for offshore wind farms.

The first installations will appear within the next few years. I see a bright future for offshore wind. Almost 30 percent of the Baltic Sea potential is in Poland. This means that, within few decades, we may build several dozen gigawatts of installed capacity. Offshore wind may become the main source of electricity in Poland. Our country may be among the top three producers of such electricity in Europe, expected Grzegorz Górski, COO Ocean Winds.