The Ministry of Climate and Environment has prepared a draft amendment to the law on the promotion of electricity generation in offshore wind farms. The regulations aim to accelerate and streamline implementation, as well as to improve investment conditions for offshore wind farm projects. The request for an entry on the list of works of the Council of Ministers was submitted to the Chancellery of the Prime Minister on 17 October 2024. This is a response to industry calls for actions supporting the development of offshore wind energy, which is one of the cornerstones of Poland’s energy transition, beneficial from the perspective of energy prices, the competitiveness of the Polish economy and creation of new jobs in Poland in the coming years. A space for dialogue on the necessary regulations will be the Offshore Wind Poland 2024 Conference, which will already take place on 20-21 November in Warsaw.
As the Ministry of Climate and Environment points out, the proposed regulatory changes will streamline the implementation of offshore wind energy projects and contribute to the broader development of the renewable energy sector in line with the ambitions of reducing the carbon intensity of the economy and meeting international obligations. The need to adapt regulations to current realities in the context of offshore was one of the key conclusions of last year’s Offshore Wind Poland Conference.
– A year ago PWEA identified factors hampering the development of offshore wind farms. We identified the most pressing needs facing phase I projects or those that will affect phase II projects.
We are glad that our recommendations have become a signpost for the government, as the regulations prepared almost 5 years ago today do not respond to real challenges. Offshore is a historic investment for our country and Poland is at a key point in its development. Either we join this trend with an energy policy favourable to OWE, creating green jobs, new production facilities and developing the economy and being a European leader, or we will always observe this dynamic development at the tail end of Europe. Without strong regulatory support, the best development scenario will not be realised. With the work on the Act, the government shows that it treats offshore as a priority and as a path to cheap and clean energy and a strong, independent economy – comments Janusz Gajowiecki, President of the Polish Wind Energy Association.
On 15 October, a year since the last parliamentary elections, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that when it comes to offshore, we are ultimately talking about a potential energy capacity of 18 gigawatts. ‘This is four times more than the planned capacity of the nuclear power plant we are just starting to build in Pomerania’. – he noted. According to the head of government, this gives an idea of what a great, non-ideological development opportunity renewable energy is. “This is an endeavour that can resolve positively the matter of access to increasingly cheaper energy. We do not have any other particular opportunities to make this Polish energy, which today is one of the most expensive in Europe, cheaper” – he added. According to the Prime Minister, green energy is one of the key ways if we are talking about people’s interests.
As calculated by PWEA experts in the analysis ‘Offshore – it pays off’ [‘Offshore – it pays off’], in the scenario envisaging the development of OWE to the level of 5.9 GW, the cost of purchasing electricity by end consumers in the years 2026 to 2040 will amount to PLN 1033.3 billion, and in the case of the scenario of including 18 GW from OWE by 2040, the cost will amount to PLN 841.9 billion – the level of savings is therefore enormous, amounting to more than PLN 190 billion.
Poland’s biggest offshore event
Offshore wind energy is a key technology for an effective and timely transformation of our energy system and for ensuring the competitiveness and resilience of the Polish economy. As of today, Poland has no viable alternative in terms of non-emitting and stable large-scale generation sources available at short notice. The more energy from offshore wind farms, the lower the cost of purchasing electricity will be for Polish citizens and entrepreneurs.
The challenges of Polish OWE industry will be addressed by key politicians, decision-makers and leaders of the OWE sector during the Offshore Wind Poland 2024 conference, which will be held on 20-21 November at the Sheraton Hotel in Warsaw. This is the largest industry event in Poland dedicated to offshore wind energy and, above all, an opportunity to discuss key challenges and necessary changes that will ensure dynamic and competitive development of the offshore market. The event brings together leading politicians, experts, decision-makers and sector representatives to shape solutions and cooperation frameworks for the offshore wind sector in the country during the two-day conference.
Registration for the Offshore Wind Poland 2024 Conference is now open! Join now to gain valuable insights from the industry, expand your network and stay up to date with the development of the Polish offshore sector! https://konferencja-offshore.pl
Source: PWEA
