As the world embraces the potential that the renewable energy sector has, Danish wind component manufacturer Vestas has scaled back its operations in Poland due to a lack of demand in Europe. The world has been consumed by the need to decarbonize the energy sector, as it is the main contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. The solution for most nations is to turn to one of the three main components of the renewable energy sector: wind, solar, and nuclear.
Poland is the last remaining stronghold of the coal energy sector in Europe
The international embrace of the renewable energy sector has reached nearly every corner of the world, nearly. Some nations have stagnated in the adoption of the sector in favor of the more reliable energy generation that the fossil fuel sector presents.
Nations like Australia have no sign of the renewable energy sector emerging as a contender for the crown of energy king. Australia is among the nations of the world that still place an exceedingly high importance on the coal sector.
Poland has the unwelcome reputation as the last stronghold of coal in Europe. It is the only EU member state that still produces the “black gold”. As such, many leaders in Poland have called for more work to be done to phase out the coal and gas sectors in their nation. In stepped Vestas with a plan to construct a massive wind turbine manufacturing facility.
In 2012, approximately 90% of Poland’s energy came from coal, which has since been dramatically reduced. At the moment, the number sits closer to 50%, which is still significantly higher than any other EU member state.
“We entered the period of transition with our energy balance dependent on practically one resource: coal. In spite of such difficult beginnings, Poland has maintained emission reductions at the level present in other EU member states: its use of coal in electric energy production has fallen by 19 per cent over the last 30 years.” – Michał Kurtyka, Polish Minister of the Environment
A lack of demand in Poland has led Vestas to shelve its largest project to date
The Danish wind turbine manufacturer has stated that it plans to halt construction of its largest factory in Poland due to a lack of demand in its main European market. The company announced its plans to build an offshore wind project in Poland last year. The facility was set to deliver its first wind blades by 2026 and could have employed over 1,000 people.
The company informed several news organizations of its plans to shelve the project in Poland “due to a lower-than-expected demand for offshore wind in Europe”.
In August, Poland’s President Karol Nwrocki vetoed a bill aimed at relaxing rules for the construction of onshore wind farms. However, the lack of demand has led Vestas to pull out of its plans to manufacture wind turbines in Poland. While Poland sees an exodus of wind, Germany has opened an 11.4 MW wind farm in Herbsleben-Dachwig.
Europe is grappling with the need to diversify its energy sector for future generations
While we understand and commend the need to transition away from fossil fuels, the reality is that the process will not take place overnight and requires a pragmatic approach to be successful. Australia’s aforementioned proclivity for coal has led RWE to suspend a 2 GW offshore wind project, which exemplifies the issues faced by the global energy community. If Poland aims to join its European compatriots in the adoption of the renewable energy sector, it will need to ensure that the trend of companies shelving projects comes to an end. If they can manage that, there is hope for Poland.
