Not only the wind industry, but also local governments are waiting for the unblocking of onshore wind energy – this is the conclusion of the premiere of the report by PWEA experts, TPA Poland consulting company and DWF, which took place online, on May 11.
New investments in onshore wind energy are an opportunity for a greener energy mix, cheaper energy and clean air.
Poland should quickly turn towards zero-emission, distributed renewable sources, among which onshore wind energy has the greatest potential for development and dynamic growth of new generation capacities – said Janusz Gajowiecki, president of the Polish Wind Energy Association. The rapid development of onshore wind is an opportunity not only for “green” electricity free of emissions for households. It is primarily a path to fast electrification in sectors such as heating, transport or industrial processes. The cheapest on-shore wind energy on the market will allow to decarbonise the Polish economy and will greatly help to maintain its competitiveness on global markets. Clean air will be a bonus – added Gajowiecki.
The hope for unblocking the construction of new windmills onshore is provided by the officially announced amendment to the act of 20 May 2016 on investments in wind farms, which almost five years ago completely inhibited the development of new wind projects, but often also the possibility of building houses. During the webinar, Anna Kornecka, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Development, Labor and Technology, presented the assumptions of the draft amendment, which is currently in the process of public consultation.
Liberalization of the distance act, giving local authorities the right to decide on the location of new wind farms on land and distances, however not less than 500 m, will enable further development of this technology, thanks to which Polish people will have access to clean and cheaper energy. And local governments will gain revenues that will allow for the implementation of the investment – said Minister Kornecka. Cheaper, clean and reliable energy is also necessary to maintain the competitiveness of the Polish industry – argued the Minister.
A stable regulatory environment for investors, and on the other hand replacing rigid bans with the process of reaching consensus with the participation of local communities, is a long-awaited and positive change – said Dr. Karol Lasocki from DWF law firm, referring to the presentation by Minister Kornecka. It should be remembered that in the case of wind farms, the investment process today is multi-stage and long-lasting, requires planning, many approvals and permits, both administrative and environmental. Therefore, in order to enable the growth of new, modern generation capacities, we should follow the times – that is, simplify the procedures for building clean renewable sources – added Lasocki.
Stefan Dzienniak, President of the Polish Steel Association, also points out the need to quickly ensure access to cheap, clean energy from RES, both for economic and image-related reasons. Producers with the lowest energy costs win on world markets. If we want to maintain the steel and energy-intensive industry in Poland, we must ensure that the most cost-competitive energy generation technologies, such as onshore wind energy, will have good conditions for development. This is all the more important as the upcoming decarbonisation of the steel industry will significantly increase the sector’s demand for electricity – added President Dzienniak.
The results of the renewable energy auction from 2018-2021 show that there is no competition in Poland in terms of the costs of generating energy onshore wind. In 2018-2020, wind investors contracted a total of 161.8 TWh of electricity for the amount of PLN 33.9 billion. Therefore, over the 15-year support period, the average price for 1 MW is PLN 209, and wind electricity costs the taxpayer 24% less than it was necessary to pay for electricity on TGE in April 2021 – noted Wojciech Sztuba, Partner at TPA Poland.
In the future, the price advantage of wind will continue to grow, especially if we start developing onshore wind energy based on the latest, most efficient technology. Currently, the most efficient installations are turbines with an installed capacity of 5-6 MW, however. the distance regulations in force prevent their construction in our country. It is in the interest of both investors and energy recipients – households and enterprises – to ease the location restrictions for onshore wind investments as soon as possible.
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