On BalticWind.EU we spoke to Jakub Budzyński, Vice-President of the Polish Offshore Wind Energy Society (PTMEW). We ask about Polish staff in the offshore wind sector and the state of their preparation. How many specialists are employed in the Polish offshore wind energy sector?  The commentary was originally published in “BalticWind.EU Quarterly Country Report Poland Q1 2022″.

There is no doubt that not only technologies and regulations, but also the staff is crucial for offshore wind energy development. Poland faces the challenge of installing 11 GW of wind turbines in the Baltic Sea by 2040. In international discussions experts often point out that one of the barriers for wind energy development may be the lack of employees in Poland. What is the situation in Poland? How many people are currently employed in the Polish offshore wind sector? Jakub Budzyński from the Polish Offshore Wind Energy Society (PTMEW) points out that giving specific numbers is not an easy task.

“It can be estimated that between 100 and 200 people work directly on offshore wind farm projects on the Polish side on a continuous basis at the current stage, but if we take into account whole, often international, project teams of developers active on the Polish market, this number increases by another several hundred people“, explains Budzyński.

He adds that the chain of Polish suppliers and subsuppliers as well as information provided by PTMEW about their involvement in domestic and international projects, allow to estimate a total number at approx. 1000-2000 people. According to analysts’ estimates and calculations, a mature offshore wind energy market can generate about 1000 direct jobs per installed gigawatt (GW) of electric capacity.

The full commentary was originally published in BalticWind.EU Quarterly Country Report Poland Q1 2022.