War in Ukraine accelerates energy transition in Europe. Subsequent countries declare increased share and faster transition to renewable energy. In Poland, faster reduction of our dependence on fossil fuels and elimination of supply from Russia must too form the pillar of energy security. Today, prioritising renewable energy development is in the best construed national interest of Poland, for the more RES in the system, the lower coal and gas consumption. Therefore, it is necessary to immediately unleash wind energy development, which exhibits vast potential as the least expensive and independent source of electricity for Polish homes and industries.
Currently, wind energy development is our raison d’etat. By using wind as the source of inexpensive electricity, Poland will become energy-independent, and safe. Wind blows irrespective of geopolitical situation — no hostile politician is able to stop it. A power system based on distributed energy sources, such as wind farms and other RES installations, is much more resilient to any military threats.
Running away from imports
In the current geopolitical situation rapid, well-planned transition to renewable energy sources is the only way to energy security and — moreover — new jobs the Polish economy needs. For years we have been excessively dependent on import — half of all consumed fossil fuels come from abroad.
Currently we are importing approximately 80% of consumed gas, almost 100% of oil, and even as much as 20% of coal consumed in Poland. In coal imports, Russia is the dominating supplier, with 75% market share in 2020. The war it started clearly demonstrates that RES investments are the best way to ensure energy independence.
“In 2021 coal imports from Russia to Poland amounted to more than 8 million tonnes — a volume than enables Polish power plants to produce more than 18 TWh of electricity. It is a mistake to think that diversification of sources of fossil fuel supply (to outside Russia) is a solution good enough. History demonstrates that access to fossil fuels always comes with substantial political risk. We have to make ourselves independent from fossil fuels, in particular supplied from abroad — this is the only way to increase our energy security. Wind energy is the response to the current challenges in that respect. Not only it decreases the demand for imported fossil fuels, but also offers electricity that is 3–3.5 times less expensive than produced from such fuels. Moreover, wind energy, being a distributed source, is less susceptible to physical threats, therefore much safer than large, centralised generation assets,” said Janusz Gajowiecki, President of the Polish Wind Energy Association.
“In 2021 coal imports from Russia to Poland amounted to more than 8 million tonnes — a volume than enables Polish power plants to produce more than 18 TWh of electricity. It is a mistake to think that diversification of sources of fossil fuel supply (to outside Russia) is a solution good enough. History demonstrates that access to fossil fuels always comes with substantial political risk. We have to make ourselves independent from fossil fuels, in particular supplied from abroad — this is the only way to increase our energy security. Wind energy is the response to the current challenges in that respect. Not only it decreases the demand for imported fossil fuels, but also offers electricity that is 3–3.5 times less expensive than produced from such fuels. Moreover, wind energy, being a distributed source, is less susceptible to physical threats, therefore much safer than large, centralised generation assets,” said Janusz Gajowiecki, President of the Polish Wind Energy Association.Therefore, the simplest and fastest method to abandon fossil fuels is to build new renewable capacity. To this end, we have to streamline excessively complex administrative procedures to enable construction of new capacity within the next 12–24 months rather than 4–5 years under the current wind energy legal framework. Such investments will allow for making Poland independent from Russia’s fossil fuels quite soon.
“War in Ukraine has changed the path towards European energy transition forever. Now we see how fragile fossil-based, mostly import-based energy sector is. Today, accelerating the transition and enabling new RES investments may prove a necessity not only to protect the climate or as an opportunity for the economy, but primarily in terms of Poland’s sovereignty and its national interest,” Janusz Gajowiecki added.
Polish tilt at windmills
Currently, the main barrier to wind energy development in Poland is not social acceptance, finance or technology. It is the incomprehensible lack of decision on unblocking the sector through liberalisation of the 10 h rule, which in 2016 excluded 99 percent of the country’s area from wind energy investments. It also deepened Poland’s dependence on imported fossil fuels, including those from Russia.
Apart from bringing security, onshore wind development increases the pace of the Polish energy transition and brings a number of benefits for the economy. A report by the Polish Wind Energy Association demonstrates that, in the best development scenario, new wind farms will guarantee PLN 70–133 billion of GDP growth, PLN 490–935 million of additional revenue foe local governments, approximately PLN 80 billion of orders for products and services in the supply chain and from 51 to 97 thousand new jobs in the 2030 perspective.
However, despite measurable benefits, regulations developed a year ago, aimed at elimination of harmful barriers to wind farm construction, continue to await approval by the Council of Ministers and submission for parliamentary works. The act limiting wind farm development in Poland continues to block the path towards Poland’s energy security.
The European Commission has presented a realistic plan for making European Union independent from Russia and its resources long before 2030. REPowerEU puts investments in, among others, energy efficiency and new RES installations first. Next to thwarted sense of security, Europe for several months now is facing increasing energy prices and decreased competitiveness of the industry. Development of wind energy — a source of electricity more than three times less expensive than conventional sources — is an answer to that issue as well.