Coal to play a reduced role in Poland's energy mix - press

A new draft energy policy until 2040 foresees the share of coal in the energy mix falling to 35.6 - 56 percent in 10 years, compared to the 56-60 percent provided for in a government report last November, the Puls Biznesu business daily reported on Tuesday.

The paper pointed out that a meeting is planned for September 10 of government officials and Silesian miners on the subject of Poland's energy policy. "Probably for this reason, the Ministry of Climate, responsible for this document, closed the work and handed over the project to the government," the paper wrote.

According to the project, by 2040, the share of coal in energy consumption might fall to 11-28 percent, depending on whether the price of CO2 emissions permits will be cheaper or more expensive. Meanwhile, the paper noted, in a draft from November 2019, published just before the dismissal of Krzysztof Tchorzewski as energy minister, the share of coal was to be at the level of 28 percent, no more and no less.

Climate Minister Michal Kurtyka gave his assurance that the transformation of the Polish energy sector would be fair and that European funds to the tune of PLN 60 billion (EUR 13.49 billion) would be mobilised to finance it.

The new project provides for a slightly greater share of renewable energy sources - at least 23 percent (in the energy policy draft from November 2019 it was 21-23 percent). The draft still foresees the construction of nuclear power stations and offshore wind farms.