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Energy in Poland describes energy and electricity production, consumption and import in Poland.
Contents
- Coal
- Coal and the environment
- Coal and the public
- Coal and business
- Electricity
- Renewable energy
- Global warming
- References
In 2009, Poland was world's 9th largest hard coal producer. The country is also the second largest coal consumer in Europe behind Germany.
Coal
In 2009 Poland produced 78 megatonnes (Mt) of hard coal and 57 Mt of brown coal.
Coal and the environment
Coal mining has far-reaching effects on local water resources. Coal mining requires large amounts of water. Mining activities have dropped the water level of Lake Ostrowskie by almost two meters in the Kuyavia–Pomerania and the lakes in the Powidz Landscape Park. According to Poznań's University of Agriculture, the water drainage in the Kleczew brown coal mining areas has formed craters in the area.
Coal and the public
In April 2008, five thousand people demonstrated in Kruszwica to protect cultural heritage and the nature reserve at Lake Gopło. This was the first protest of its kind in the country's history. Gopło Millennium Park (Nadgoplański Park Tysiąclecia) is protected by the European Union's Natura 2000 program and includes a major bird sanctuary. The Tomisławice opencast mine (less than 10 kilometers away from the Kruszwica mine) was due to open in 2009.
Coal and business
The Bełchatów Power Station in the Łódź region supplies almost 20% of Poland's energy. It is the largest brown coal power plant in Europe.
Electricity
In 2008, a net 143 TWh of electricity were produced in coal-based power plants.
Renewable energy
The Polish government had plans to reach 2,000 MW in wind power capacity and a 2.3% share of wind generation in domestic energy consumption by 2010. By the end of 2010, the capacity stood at 1,107 MW.
A binding European Union resolution stipulates a 15% renewable energy target in 2020. According to the Polish National Renewable Energy Action Plan, the 2020 target is 19% of the national energy capacity (15.2 TWh wind power and 14.2 TWh biomass), 17% in heating and cooling, and 10.1% in transport. EWEA's 2009 forecast suggests a higher wind capacity of 10–12 GW (2020).
If Poland had the same wind power density as Denmark, there would have been 23 GW of wind power by the end of 2008.
The PM10 warning limit is 300 μg/m3 in Poland, whereas it is 80 in Paris.
Global warming
Poland opposed the 2009 EU proposal to support developing countries in applying measures against global warming, at a cost of 5-7 billion € during the years 2010–2012.