Pawel Wróbel. BalticWind.EU: More than a year ago, a sectoral agreement was signed for the development of offshore wind energy in Poland. What has been achieved since then?
Ireneusz Zyska, Deputy Minister for Climate and Environment, Government Plenipotentiary for RES Development:
For the optimal development of offshore wind energy in Poland, cooperation of the sector’s stakeholders is crucial. These include: investors, developers, power producers, manufacturers of components needed for the construction of farms, various service providers, the national transmission system operator, users of the national power system, offshore installation and service ports, terminal operators, maritime administration, public administration bodies, scientific institutes, universities and staff training entities, business environment and support organizations and industry organizations.
For more than a year, representatives of state and local government bodies, universities, research and development institutes, entrepreneurs, financial and insurance institutions, investors, manufacturers and business support organizations have been implementing the provisions of the Sectoral Agreement for the Development of Offshore Wind Energy in Poland, concluded on 15 September 2021. Thanks to the great commitment of the Agreement’s participants, regular meetings and many hours of discussions, the offshore wind energy sector in Poland has a chance for effective development. Since the signing of the Agreement, the number of parties has already increased from 109 to nearly 250, proving that the initiative is not only needed, but that it brings tangible results. The Agreement allows coordination of activities for the dynamic development of the offshore wind energy sector in Poland, with an emphasis on strengthening local content throughout the value chain. It is extremely important to set goals at the national level in the energy, environmental, economic, as well as social areas and consistently strive to achieve them. Above all, it should be emphasised that some actions take time. The offshore wind sector is a new industry.
It is not possible to realize all the Agreement’s goals in a year or two. Long-term solutions are needed, which require a lot of analysis and discussion. The very fact that it was possible to get stakeholders from different companies and institutions to act together and build trust between them is one of the greatest successes that have been achieved.
Within the framework of the Agreement, a Coordinating Council for Offshore Wind Energy was established. It includes representatives of each of the stakeholder groups that are parties to the Sectoral Agreement. In addition to the establishment of working groups to ensure the cooperation of the parties to the Agreement in key areas, the tasks of the Coordinating Council include monitoring progress in achieving the strategic objectives of the Agreement, including the level of local content achieved by the cooperation of investors and stakeholders in the supply chain, and preparing an annual report on the implementation of the provisions of the Agreement. In the first quarter of 2023, the report will be published on a dedicated website administered by the Ministry of Climate and Environment. I believe that our activities will contribute to increasing the participation of Polish entrepreneurs in the supply chain for offshore wind farms being built in the Polish exclusive economic zone, which will ensure technological development and the creation of many new jobs.
6 working groups with 21 subgroups have been established. They provide a unique platform for the exchange of knowledge and experience between communities involved in the development of the offshore wind energy sector. As part of the meetings and consultations held, in which several hundred representatives of the parties to the Agreement actively participated, it was possible, among other things, to define and determine the goals that will be implemented in the coming years. Participants in the working groups are extremely active, pointing out problems and proposing solutions. The groups’ work is gaining momentum, and the effects of their activities will become increasingly evident in the next stage s of cooperation.
You can read the full interview in BalticWind.EU Quarterly Country Report Poland Q4 2022.
