Poland’s planned energy restructuring set to hasten coal demise

(EurActiv, 27 Aug 2020) Poland could phase out coal as early as 2035 under a “business as usual scenario,” according to Greenpeace, which performed an analysis of the latest government plans to restructure the country’s virus-hit energy sector.

The Polish government is currently preparing a major restructuring of the country’s three state-controlled energy utilities.

“Our plan is creating from the three energy groups – Tauron, PGE and Enea – two entities. One would be coal (based) and the other non-coal. We are consulting on this with the European Commission,” deputy Prime Minister Jasek Sasin said earlier this month.

The government plan includes a restructuring of the country’s biggest coal producer PGG, and involves the closure of two mines, Reuters reported earlier this month. PGG has been hit by falling demand for coal, lower prices, and the rising number of coronavirus infections, which led to the temporary closure of some mines in June.

Sasin admitted that the restructuring plans were also precipitated by fast-changing policy developments, including an EU-wide target to reduce global warming emissions to net-zero by 2050.

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EurActiv, 27 Aug 2020: Poland’s planned energy restructuring set to hasten coal demise