Dark clouds gather over the future of Polish coal power

Poland currently relies on coal for over 80% of its power generation, but a struggling coal industry, EU emission regulations and renewable targets will force down the of the amount of coal in the energy mix. Despite plans to construct a number of new coal fired power plants in the next five years, coal power is forecast to decline rapidly over the next 20 years due to large scale decommissioning of ageing coal-fired power plants. Other, lower carbon fuels will take the place of coal in the power sector. Renewable energy will play a role in the future Polish power mix but the majority of retiring coal capacity will be replaced by gas-fired power stations. A number of gas infrastructure projects are currently under construction or are planned in an effort to ensure energy security in the wake of declining coal power.