Wow, page-24

Just a small idea regarding the Poland idea being thrown around - are not Germans all over the Polish businesses?


Poland: Coal and lignite are strategic fuels for power generation in Poland, where indigenous supplies of these fuels have underpinned growth in electricity supply. The contribution of coal and lignite to total power generation is dominant today and is expected to be maintained in the medium term.

More than half of Polish power stations are over 25 years old, whilst about one quarter has been in operation for more than 30 years. The lignite - fired power plants are amongst the newest ones and they are being refurbished to meet EU environmental standards. Poland has no nuclear power stations, but has plans to construct a new nuclear power plant by 2020.
Several European energy companies, including VATTENFALL, RWE, EDF and GDF SUEZ are currently active in the Polish energy sector, having a certain impact on energy production and distribution as well as on the government’s privatisation policy. Polish national energy policy is focused on security of energy supply, with competitive cost structures, minimal environmental impacts and increased energy efficiency.
According to the “Energy Policy of Poland to 2030”, coal is expected to remain the main fuel for electricity generation, but a general reduction of energy consumption by industry and a 19 % share of renewables by 2020 are targeted. Nevertheless, electricity consumption in 2030 is expected to increase by 30 %, gas consumption by 42 % and petroleum products consumption by 7 %.
Poland does not have significant reserves of oil and only modest natural gas reserves, although it may have great potential to exploit unconventional gas. The government has issued over 90 licenses for shale gas exploration and reliable assessments are expected to be presented in due time. However, initial analysis shows that Poland has huge shale gas deposits, stretching from the northern Baltic Sea coast to the eastern borders with Ukraine and Belarus, totalling over 5 000 billion cubic metres. Experts estimate that this amount could cover domestic needs for over 100 to 200 years. If these estimates were confirmed, it would change the fuel mix of the country and reduce energy dependence on Russia.