The energy transition we are facing is a challenge for all market participants. Editor Bartłomiej Derski from the Wysokienapięcie.pl portal asked about which direction the changes in the Polish energy sector should go when starting a discussion as part of the panel 'Challenges and new perspectives for the development of the RES sector' organised during the sixth edition of the Areopag Renewable Energy Conference.
The discussion was opened by Łukasz Tomaszewski, Director of the RES Department at the Ministry of Climate and Environment, who recalled that when the Council of Ministers adopted PEP2040 in 2021, it assumed 5-7 GW of PV power in the Polish mix by 2030. And by 2040 it was to be around 15 GW. Today, after the end of 2023, we already know that we have met the 2024 targets. - We now anticipate that by 2030 we will reach 50 GW of total installed RES capacity, and by 2040 it will be 90 GW,' Tomaszewski said during the debate.
- This means a complete change in the philosophy of thinking about the energy sector, as this huge excess of power will create a completely new reality, a new energy sector. Full of new solutions and services, but also of course challenges. Including legal ones," added Dyr Tomaszewski, a representative of the Ministry of Climate.
However, Dr Księżopolski pointed out that the analyses in the PEP2040 document were based on incomplete data.According to the expert from the Warsaw School of Economics, this is one of the biggest problems and challenges of today's energy sector - obtaining and processing data and, more broadly, technological changes.
Stable transparent communication of changes, transparency in decision-making and, above all, honest dialogue with stakeholders should be respected at both central and local levels, added Dr Krzysztof Księżopolski.
In her presentation, Paulina Grodzik, Confederation of Leviathan, drew attention to three issues that are inevitable for the further development of renewable energy in Poland. These are the release of energy prices - required by EU law, the stability of law - so expected by investors, and the improvement of the parameters of the power grid - without which it will be impossible to talk about the energy transition.
- In my opinion, however, the key issue is the grid.The best legal mechanisms will not technically allow the connection of further sources.This is the basis of the system," said the expert of the Lewiatan Confederation.Holger Gallas, member of the board of Sevivon Sp. z o.o., represented the sector of enterprises and companies related to the implementation of RES projects in this debate. He pointed out that the development of a large wind project is, in real terms, a 5-7 year perspective.
This is why predictability, i.e. the stability of rules and regulations, is so important for an investor. The greater the regulatory instability in a given market, the greater the risk of a given investment is from the investor's point of view. And this must translate into prices. The competitiveness of green energy," added Gallas.
- As part of the work on changes regulating RES in Poland, I would consider introducing the possibility of parallel planning and environmental procedures. Investors are able to carry out these processes in parallel, and by doing so we could save half the time, investments could be accelerated,' Holger Gallas stressed.
The Areopag 2023 conference was organised for the sixth time by the Krzysztof Żmijewski Association for Efficiency.The meeting was an opportunity to exchange views, as well as to discuss the most current challenges and problems currently facing the renewable energy industry.
Participants in the panel: "Challenges and new perspectives in the development of the RES sector" as part of the Areopag 2023 conference".
Director Lukasz Tomaszewski, Ministry of Climate and Environment
Paulina Grodzik, Lewiatan Confederation
Dr. Krzysztof Księżopolski, Warsaw School of Economics
Dr. Grzegorz Maślak, Warsaw School of Economics
Dr. Marek Dżaman, Renewable Energy Association expert
Holger Gallas, Member of the Board of Sevivon (PNE Group)
Moderation: Bartłomiej Derski, Wysokienapięcie.pl