Wind power is a growing source of electricity in Poland. In 2019, wind was the second most important source of electricity produced in Poland, after coal, accounting for about 10% of the electricity production.[1]
From 2012 to 2014 the Nowy Tomyśl Wind Turbines were the tallest wind turbines in the world with a pinnacle height of 210 metres (690 ft). They are still the tallest wind turbines installed on lattice towers.
In May 2018 state-owned PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna decided to invest in offshore wind power pending delayed negotiations on building nuclear power plants in Poland. They aim to build 2.5 GW by 2030.[2]
The total wind power grid-connected capacity in Poland was 9,428.3 MW as of 31 December 2023.[3][4] In September 2020, the government announced a 130 billion zloty (£26.5 billion) plan to invest in offshore wind.[5] According to Poland's Supreme Audit Office, the Polish areas of the Baltic Sea could generate up to 28 GW in offshore wind power.[6] The Polish government's energy development plan aims for an installation of 5.9GW of offshore wind power by 2030 and 11GW by 2040.[6] A 1.5 GW offshore wind farm is currently being built near Słupsk.[7]
Year | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Installed capacity (MW)[8][9][10] | 0 | 27 | 63 | 63 | 83 | 153 | 276 | 544 | 725 | 1,180 | 1,616 | 2,497 | 3,390 | 3,834 [11] | 5,100[12] | 5,782[12] | 5,917[13] | 6,294[3] | 7,306[3] | 8,256[3] | 9,428[3] |
Generation (GWh)[14] | 132 | 234 | 506 | 796 | 1,051 | 1,843 | 2,745 | 4,435 | 5,822 | 7,184 [15] | 10,858[12] | 11,623[12] | 14,685[1] | 15,800[16] | |||||||
% of electricity production | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.6% | 0.8% | 1.3% | 1.8% | 2.74% | 3.53% | 4.59%[15] | *6.6%[17] | 7.1%[18] | 9.8%[1] | 10.0%[16] | |||||||
*Provisional estimate |
As of the end of 2015, total installed capacity was 5.1 gigawatts (GW),[12] which provided 10,858 gigawatt-hours (GW·h)[12] — around 6.22% of the electricity consumed in the country.[19] By year end 2016 total installed capacity had risen to 5,782 MW.[12]
Energy production sources are also registered by the state Energy Regulatory Office (URE).[20][21]
EU and Poland wind energy capacity (MW)[22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29] | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No | Country | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2005 | 2000 | ||||||||
- | EU-27 | 220,253[30] | 204,499[31] | 188,892[32] | 142,042[29] | 128,751[33] | 117,384[33] | 105,696 | 93,957 | 84,074 | 74,767 | 34,383 | 9,678 | ||||||||
9 | Poland | 9,428[3] | 8,256[3] | 7,306[3] | 5,782[29] | 5,100[29] | 3,834[33] | 3,390[33] | 2,497 | 1,616 | 1,107 | 83 | 0 |
Some of the points of production are:[34][35][36][37]