Offshore wind legislation passed by Polish Senate 'a historic moment'

The act was adopted without amendment and will now be signed by the President of the Republic of Poland. It should come into force in late January/early February 2021.

Polish Minister of Climate and Environment Michal Kurtyka said, “Poland is ready to implement offshore wind energy into its national power system.”

The purpose of the act is to use the potential of wind energy in the Baltic and create a legal framework that will support the development of windfarms there.

The support model provided for in the act is a two-sided contract for difference, as successfully used in several other countries.

In a statement, the Polish Government said offshore windfarms will be put into operation successively from 2024 onwards, although industry sources suggest 2025 onwards.

Deputy Minister of Climate and Environment Ireneusz Zyska, said “Offshore wind energy in the Baltic is essential, especially from the viewpoint of stimulating the economy after the epidemic. Investment in large-scale renewable energy sources in Poland are necessary.”

Polish Wind Energy Association vice-president Kamila Tarnacka said the vote to pass the legislation was a “historic moment.” She said it would launch a programme of investment in offshore wind worth PLN130Bn (US$35Bn) and help Poland recover from the effects of Covid-19.

In the initial phase, the plan for offshore wind support is provided for 5.9 GW of capacity. The first windfarms launched under this stage of the process could start producing energy as early as 2025, Ms Tarnacka said.

In subsequent years projects will be developed after an auction process.

“The energy potential of the Baltic is enormous and the conditions in the Polish part of the Baltic are among the best for this type of investment,” Ms Tarnacka concluded.

“Ultimately, we could connect up to 28 GW of capacity and become a regional leader in the offshore wind market.”