Will the new Polish government tap into offshore wind potential?

The Baltic Sea will become a key area for electricity generation in the European Union in the coming years. Poland can and should lead the development of offshore wind in the Baltic. Economic benefits, new jobs and the development of local content are within reach – but without strong regulatory support, we will not realise the best development scenario.

The new government’s priority after the elections should be to support wind energy and outline an effective development path for onshore and offshore. Already on 21 November, during the political debate at the Offshore Conference, the leaders of the key parties will present their plans and visions for energy transition, RES development and regulatory facilitation for offshore.

The global offshore market is accelerating and Poland is not lagging behind. Last year’s PWEA report estimated offshore potential at 33 GW. The report also identified 20 new areas in the Polish part of the Baltic Sea, including 18 in the exclusive economic zone and 2 in the territorial sea, which are optimal for further development of the offshore wind sector in Poland. If the total potential of the Baltic Sea is exploited, offshore wind energy could satisfy as much as 57% of Poland’s total electricity demand, and local content could reach 65%, which undoubtedly represents an opportunity for the Polish economy.

How we use the potential of the Polish Baltic depends on the cooperation of all stakeholders and, above all, on those in power, who with their decisions will set the pace for its development. The new government’s policy will determine the development of offshore wind energy, which should be one of the main drivers of Poland’s energy transition. In addition, the expansion of this sector is a huge opportunity for the development of the Polish economy through the creation of a strong domestic supply chain that forms the basis for further investment across the Baltic Sea.

The green energy transition, which is inevitable today, requires swift and concrete actions that will allow Poles to look to the future with a sense of security about access to cheap and reliable energy. As the new government takes shape, we strongly believe in the sense of a substantive debate on the vision of Poland’s energy policy. Offshore can become its pillar, but it needs adequate support. However, in order to realise ambitious OWE plans, the currently outlined potential and designated areas for investment must be verified – otherwise it may turn out that we will waste the chance to use the right volume of offshore wind energy in Poland. This is what we will be asking at the Offshore Conference to the leaders of the key political parties who will be creating regulations in the coming years,” says Janusz Gajowiecki, President of the Polish Wind Energy Association.

The Polish energy sector – which is still based primarily on burning coal – is facing great challenges today. These are, on the one hand, the climate policy of the European Union, on the other hand, the issue of energy security and the amount of our energy bills. What challenges will the new government face in the context of the energy transition? What should it focus on first? The most topical issues and challenges will be addressed at an event that has already become a permanent fixture in the wind industry calendar – the Offshore Wind Poland 2023 Conference.

Source: PortalMorski.pl