The Ministry of Climate and Environment of Poland has announced an increase in the planned capacity volume for the first offshore wind auction in 2025 from the original 2.5 GW to 4 GW. Four auctions are planned between 2025 and 2031, which will allow for a total capacity of up to 12 GW.
The changes to the offshore auction plan are a result of consultations with the European Commission (EC) and an amendment to the RES Act in August 2023. Previous plans called for auctions of 2.5 GW in 2025 and 2027, but with the changes, these values will increase to 4 GW in 2025 and 2027 and 2 GW in 2029 and 2031.
The introduction of the increased capacity volume in offshore auctions is subject to the approval of the European Commission, which must confirm the compatibility of the proposed measures with EU internal market rules. According to the EC’s decision, the capacity increase in 2025 will not be considered new state aid, as the budget for this modification will not exceed the established threshold of 20%. This will allow the President of the Energy Regulatory Office (ERO) to organise an auction in 2025 with a maximum capacity of 4 GW.
Further capacity increases and auction dates in 2027, 2029 and 2031 will be subject to notification under the new EC Climate, Environment and Energy Aid Guidelines (CEEAG) of 2022 and other EU regulations, including the carbon neutral technologies regulation of June 2024.
The decision is an important step towards the development of offshore wind energy in Poland and reinforces the country’s climate targets, while increasing the commitment to energy transition in line with the European Union guidelines.
Source: klimat.gov.pl
