Department of International Cooperation

Poland is the largest producer as well as consumer of hard coal in the EU, producing 86 percent of the total in 2018 and consuming about one-third of the total in 2017, according Eurostat.

Currently, 80 percent of Poland’s electricity is generated from coal. The government recognizes the need to speed up the pace of the nation’s energy transition in order to meet the EU’s goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. For example, state-owned power company Enea plans to invest US$ 3.48 billion in promoting energy transition.

Offshore wind power is an important element in Poland’s energy transition. The country has set the target of 10 gigawatts of total installed capacity by 2028, which would rank among the highest in Europe. Thirteen planned wind farm projects are expected to provide 25 percent of the nation’s power supply by 2040.

In mid-January, the Ministry of State Assets published the “Offshore Wind Bill,” which is intended to govern offshore wind investment, as well as define the support mechanisms for such projects, namely the contract-for-difference model, which is currently used in the U.K. and the Netherlands. A total of 10 GW in capacity will be allocated by 2028 in two phases.

Poland is a signatory to the Paris Agreement on greenhouse gas mitigation. Michal Kurtyka, Poland’s minister of the environment, has said that energy transition has to be looked at more broadly, with social issues being taken into special consideration.