The future of power engineering in Poland is changing fast. A new state-owned coal area will be created with the aim of being as effective as possible, with the appropriate allocation of resources for its development and modernisation.
One of the areas that needs investment for renovation is the so-called "200 MW blocks". Poland has many of these brown sites that are in desperate need of an upgrade. Renovation would allow for a huge amount of flexibility on the sites but they would still not be as efficient as their more modern counterparts such as the one operating in Kozienice. These sites though will be a great place for renewable energy sites to operate.
Włodzimierz Ehrenhalt, vice president of the Management Board of the Polish Renewable Energy Association (SEO) said: "If there is wind, these blocks are working, otherwise their work is effectively limited. This is an opportunity for Polish coal".
Another aspect that the Polish energy industry needs to look at is the construction of interconnectors. These are necessary in order to keep Poland connected to the wider European energy network. This would allow Polish energy providers to purchase energy cheaply from other countries, when the price is low, or to export it when Polish energy commands a higher price.
Mr Ehrenhalt argued for Poland to switch to this flexible system, though he did warn of short term rises in the price of energy if the current system continues.
"In this way, electromobility, distributed energy as well as renewable energy will be able to develop. Such a change will significantly reduce the costs of electricity. Unfortunately, the current situation creates the prospect of further significant increases in energy prices over the next 5-6 years," Ehrenhalt explained.
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