Polish govt and wind energy industry sign offshore wind co-op deal

The Polish government and representatives from the local wind energy industry have signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) to cooperate on the development of offshore wind in Poland.

The letter, signed on 1 July, defines the next steps in the collaboration to jointly develop a strong wind industry in Poland.

According to WindEurope, the letter is an important step towards Poland’s first Offshore Wind Act which is being prepared by the government and is expected to enter into force this year.

“Today marks the birth of offshore wind in Poland. Offshore wind has shown its reliability and efficiency elsewhere in Europe. With this joint ‘Letter of Intent’ Polish government and industry send a strong sign to investors and markets – that they want lots of offshore wind too and are putting in place a regulatory framework to support it,“ said Giles Dickson, CEO WindEurope.

“The potential for offshore wind in the Baltic is immense, and the Polish wind industry is ready to get started. Wind will contribute to a more modern, independent and healthy Poland. It will strengthen cooperation in the Baltic Sea region. And it will create future-proof Polish jobs in the manufacturing, service, maritime and port industries.”

In its National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP), Poland identified offshore wind as one of key technologies to meet its goals for renewable energy for 2030.

By 2030, Poland aims to have installed 3.8 GW of offshore wind, with 10 GW of new capacity awarded Contracts for Difference (CfDs).