On 15 September, representatives of the Polish government, business, companies, financial and research institutions signed a sector deal on offshore wind energy. The agreement is to become the basis for building a new industry in Poland. Giles Dickson, WindEurope CEO, said a few words about this initiative in a special commentary for BalticWind.EU.
The agreement is to serve as a platform for cooperation between the government and local self-government bodies, current and future investors and operators of offshore wind farms in Poland, as well as representatives of the supply and service chain, scientific and research units, as well as financial and insurance institutions. The objectives of the agreement are to be achieved by ensuring coordinated action for the dynamic development of the sector, with emphasis on enhancing national energy, environmental, economic and social benefits.
It is the second offshore wind sector agreement in the European Union, after the UK Sector Deal. The event takes on special significance as it is the first in the Baltic Sea region. Giles Dickson comments for BalticWind.EU:
“This Sector Deal for offshore wind in Poland is a great example of Government-industry collaboration on renewables. And of how effective it is when Governments make clear commitments to expand wind energy. With visibility on future volumes and market growth, the wind industry commits to deliver investments and jobs”, says Giles Dickson, WindEurope CEO.
According to the estimates of the Polish Wind Energy Association, PWEA, over 140 TWh of cheap and stable energy can be obtained from 28 GW of capacity of the offshore wind farms located in the Polish waters of the Baltic Sea. With this amount of energy flowing from the Baltic Sea, Poland could, by 2050, have to meet nearly 60 percent of its projected annual national electricity demand. It is worth mentioning that the Polish Energy Policy 2040 (PEP 2040) adopted in 2021 assumes the construction of 5.9 GW in 2030 and 11 GW in 2040.
