– Onshore wind energy can become one of the foundations of our energy system, but for this to happen, we must radically accelerate the implementation of investments. It is necessary to simplify procedures and dramatically increase the possibilities of connecting farms to the grid – emphasized Mateusz Lewandowski, acting executive director for investments, TAURON Polska Energia.
Data from Polish Power Grids showed the dynamic development of wind energy on the Vistula River until 2016 – then stagnation occurred due to the 10H Act and other barriers. In 2024, the total capacity of windmills in Poland exceeded 10 GW, but this is still less than in the Netherlands, which is eight times smaller. Wind power is also growing much slower than photovoltaic power, which exceeded 19 GW this year (five times more than in 2020).
Analysts of the Polish Wind Network Association estimate that if the so-called the distance act allowed windmills 500 m from homes, by 2040 Poland could have an installed capacity of 41.4 GW, and with current restrictions it could be 22.1 GW. Government plans assume doubling the current capacity by the end of 2030.
– It is unrealistic in this regulatory environment – said Olga Sypuła, country manager of European Energy Polska. She agreed with Marta Głód, director of project development at OX2 Polska, and Maciej Grzesiewski, Head of M&A ONDE SA, that after the liberalization of localization regulations that has been expected for eight years, we are at risk of an accumulation of investments, which means problems in access to equipment and construction teams. However, in her opinion, this is not the biggest problem today.
– I would like to live in a reality in which we fight over turbines and contractors to complete further investments. But the Polish reality is dramatically different: due to formalities, most of the projects unlocked this year will not be implemented until the next decade, said Olga Sypuła.
– We cannot wait as long as 12 months for the connection conditions – admitted Marta Głód, adding that “we wasted eight years on the absurd discussion whether windmills are a renewable energy source” and in practice, investors could not use accelerated procedural paths in their case. Given the current, very ambitious goals, the introduction of such paths for windmills is necessary to get started.
Jarosław Bogacz, an independent expert in the energy industry, and Sebastian Jasinowski, Leader of the M&A Energy, Strategy and Transactions Team at EY, pointed out that under the current regulations, an accumulation of wind investments in Poland should be expected after 2028, when Germany intends to connect 10 GW each wind capacity annually (in the first half of 2024, they connected 5 GW). This means a “sky accumulation” of demand for turbines and contractors, and therefore a galloping price. Poland is facing a drain of labor and technology.
– In the coming years, we would have to achieve world championships in accelerating the implementation of new projects – commented Jarosław Bogacz.
According to FA Wind und Solar, taking into account the time needed to obtain environmental, technological and network permits, investors in Germany need on average less than four years to introduce a new wind turbine into the system (statistically two or three times more powerful than in our country). In Poland, this process takes seven years. And according to the EU RED III directive, it should be no more than two years, especially since the construction of windmills itself takes several months. This shows how fundamental it is to shorten procedures.
Panel participants repeatedly emphasized that Poland cannot afford to continue wasting the gigantic potential of onshore wind energy. In September this year, wind farms provided us with 17 percent. energy, which gave them a place on the podium – behind lignite (21%) and hard coal (29%) power plants, and ahead of PV (14%) and gas (12%) installations.
Mateusz Lewandowski explained that the TAURON group focuses on the wind, because the starting point is the needs of customers.
– Many of them already have photovoltaic installations, so the production of energy from PV by us and them at the same time makes us double. However, the wind profile can perfectly complement the PV profile, said Mateusz Lewandowski, adding that energy storage is an essential complement to the system.
He expressed the opinion that the distance act currently being processed would open the market. – But we look at the regulatory environment from the perspective of a vertically organized group operating in all areas of the energy sector: from generation to distribution. This means that other regulations are as important as easing territorial restrictions for wind investments, especially those that will accelerate the process of implementing such investments – said the representative of TAURON Polska Energia.
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