Polish state-controlled power company PGE said that it had won permits to build three wind farm projects on the Baltic Sea with a combined potential capacity of 3.45 gigawatts, taking the lead in the development of Poland's offshore wind industry.
Poland, which produces around 90 percent of its energy from coal, is obliged by the European Union to increase the share of renewables in its energy mix to 15.5 percent by 2020. It currently has no operational offshore wind farms.
Industry experts say the Baltic Sea, with its relatively strong wind and shallow, calm water, offers plenty of potential for generation of offshore wind power. A connection must be built to Poland's grid, however, for the projects to supply power.
PGE's strategy for the long-term calls for generation of 1 gigawatt in offshore wind power 2020 and another gigawatt by 2025.
The Ministry of Transport, Construction and Maritime Economy granted five permits for offshore wind projects after it received 59 applications, the ministry's press officer Piotr Pastuszak said. He declined to reveal the names of companies that won the other two permits. (Reuters).