As Poland begins its transition away from the coal-fired supplies it has relied on for decades, the country’s current plans are heavily based on a switch towards gas-fired power. However, results presented in Poland’s Energy Dilemma find an overwhelming picture that new renewables will be cheaper investments than large-scale gas facilities.
New large-scale gas units in Poland appear totally incompatible with a net-zero emissions by 2050 pathway and any that are built may be forced to close well in advance of the end of planned lifetimes. Such a strategy also risks locking the country into a future with high electricity prices for consumers amid record wholesale gas prices globally.
This analysis compares the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) for new renewable investments in Poland with the projected investment costs for new gas in the country on LCOE.