Wind is one of the cleanest and cheapest sources of renewable energy (RES). In Poland, where more than 70% of electricity comes from coal, the development of wind farms can be a key step towards a green transition and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Wind farms are clusters of wind turbines that harness the power of the wind to generate electricity. How big is the wind energy potential in Poland and what are the benefits of building wind farms?
According to a report by the Polish Wind Energy Association (PWEA), Poland has the potential to install more than 50 GW of onshore and offshore wind capacity by 2050. This means that wind could cover more than 40% of the country’s electricity needs. Currently, Poland has around 6 GW of onshore wind capacity and plans to build another 11 GW offshore by 2030. This makes Poland one of the leaders in the region in terms of wind energy development.
The construction of wind farms has many benefits for the economy, the environment and society. Firstly, wind farms are a source of cheap and stable energy that does not depend on fossil fuel prices. According to PWEA, the cost of generating energy from wind onshore is around 200 PLN/MWh and offshore around 300 PLN/MWh, while the cost of energy from coal is around 350 PLN/MWh. Secondly, wind farms contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions and other pollutants that have a negative impact on human health and climate. According to PWEA, onshore wind farms avoided more than 14 million tonnes of CO2 emissions in 2019, equivalent to the annual emissions of more than 7 million passenger cars. Thirdly, wind farms create new jobs and income for local communities. According to PWEA, the wind energy sector employed more than 12,000 people in 2019 and could create more than 77,000 new jobs by 2030. In addition, wind farms pay local taxes and fees, which can be used for infrastructure development, education, culture and environmental protection.
Wind farms are therefore an important part of Poland’s RES build-up, which aims to increase the share of renewable energy to 23% by 2030 and to 50% by 2050. To achieve this, however, appropriate policy and regulation is needed to support investment and public acceptance of wind farms. Some of the challenges faced by the industry are legal restrictions, bureaucracy, public resistance and lack of grid infrastructure. Therefore, dialogue and cooperation between all stakeholders, including government, local authorities, investors, operators, NGOs and residents, is necessary. Only in this way can the full potential of wind energy be realised.
