Electricity costs haunt the poles

Poles are afraid of the rising costs of electricity / © 123RF / Picsel

A leaky energy system

The Polish market data are poorly evaluated by the Polish market. As much as 70 percent The production capacity of our country comes from blocks over 30 years old, and nearly a quarter of the over 40s. For the most part, they are inefficient and do not meet EU emission standards.

This exposes us to tangible consequences. According to calculations by the National Security Bureau, due to the poor condition of power lines, low network density and inefficient technological solutions, we record more than 7% per year. transmission losses, worth PLN 2 billion.

Increasing bills and fears

As a result, electricity prices in Poland are systematically increasing. According to market forecasts, by 2035, the average cost in MWh will rise to 404.1 zlotys, which represents an increase of more than 77%. compared to the price as of 2015 (227.9 PLN / MWh).

The increase in electricity prices in Poland is also influenced by the increasingly ambitious energy policy of the EU. In June of this year the EU's target for 2030 regarding the share of energy produced from renewable sources in the energy mix was increased to 32%. with the simultaneous need to reduce energy consumption by almost a third. At the same time, the costs of purchasing CO2 emission quotas by Poland are increasing. In November of this year. prices reached about 20 euros per ton, which represents an increase of nearly 200%. in the last year.

These trends confirm the fears of the Poles. As many as 86 percent of respondents believe that electricity prices are already high and that 82% are of the opinion that they will continue to grow over the next five years.

In the context of the state of the national energy system, we are also concerned about the possibility of what we call the "breakdown", that is, interruptions of the power supply because, for example, network congestion, sudden atmospheric phenomena or technical failures. Almost two-thirds of Poles admit this possibility (62.1%). According to analysts at the European Institute Miedzie, these fears are not unfounded. Our economy is 13%. more energy intensive than the EU average. If the current situation persists, the national energy system could even reach 13 GW by 2035.

Required investments

According to analysts at the European Copper Institute, the solution to the problem of rising electricity costs and improving the country 's energy security is through investments in energy sources. modern and efficient energy. These solutions also benefit from growing support from the Poles. Among the energy technologies that should be developed in our country, the most frequently mentioned are: solar energy (66.8% of responses), wind energy, including offshore (51.5%), electromobility (35.6%) ) geothermal (32.6%) and nuclear (25.9%).

– Faced with the growing challenges facing the Polish energy sector, the accelerated transformation of the system is the only solution. The expenses required for investments in modern energy production technologies can reach more than 11 billion euros. It is a lot of money. However, if we do not take prompt action, the price of negligence could be much higher – summarizes Michał Ramczykowski, president of the European Copper Institute.

– – – – –

The European Copper Institute (EIM) operates within the framework of the World Copper Alliance, which aims to create market conditions to increase the use of copper and its alloys in many sectors of the economy, such as energy, telecommunications, construction, architecture, environmental protection and medicine. The activity of the Institute is based on the belief that copper has unique properties and technical parameters, the use of which enables the creation of solutions that improve the quality of life and the development of renewable energies, to improve the quality of life. energy efficiency and climate protection.

Installed by KM