Poland Used Up Its Energy Transformation Funding to Prolong Dependence on Coal
A new report from the very credible Client Earth group answers the question "why can't Poland get money from the EU to fund the transition away from coal to cleaner technologies?"
"As many as 70 per cent. projects implemented by energy companies in exchange for the free allocation of emission of greenhouse gases include carbon infrastructure, and only 10 percent.investments in renewable energy sources.However, the purpose negotiated by the Polish government called "derogation" .... was to be the modernization of the outdated energy sector and diversification of sources of supply. Investment in the coal could be affected by serious problems after 2020, when the price of allowances will begin to grow - comments by ClientEarth Foundation, Lawyers for the Earth."
The total funding up to 2020 was 4.5 billion EURO! Instead of spending the support, as intended by the EU, on de-carbonization, Poland spent it mostly on projects to support the existing coal energy infrastructure. Poland is still left with a bunch of very old coal-fired power plants (30 years old plus) that cannot produce economical electricity or meet EU mandatory emissions standards. No intelligent business would have made the same decisions.
Now that Poland is getting into a corner on carbon emissions, the EU Industrial Emissions Directive, and the Renewable energy Directive (all of which now involve billions of Euro is penalties and costs to the Polish economy due to the continued heavy use of coal), Poles are screaming to change the rules. The morality and equity of this position is very dubious after taking billions of Euro to make the changes and blowing the money. Poland's behavior toward coal is pretty much that of an alcoholic.... a substance abuser that cannot stop and will use everything around them to feed the habit.
"As many as 70 per cent. projects implemented by energy companies in exchange for the free allocation of emission of greenhouse gases include carbon infrastructure, and only 10 percent.investments in renewable energy sources.However, the purpose negotiated by the Polish government called "derogation" .... was to be the modernization of the outdated energy sector and diversification of sources of supply. Investment in the coal could be affected by serious problems after 2020, when the price of allowances will begin to grow - comments by ClientEarth Foundation, Lawyers for the Earth."
The total funding up to 2020 was 4.5 billion EURO! Instead of spending the support, as intended by the EU, on de-carbonization, Poland spent it mostly on projects to support the existing coal energy infrastructure. Poland is still left with a bunch of very old coal-fired power plants (30 years old plus) that cannot produce economical electricity or meet EU mandatory emissions standards. No intelligent business would have made the same decisions.
Now that Poland is getting into a corner on carbon emissions, the EU Industrial Emissions Directive, and the Renewable energy Directive (all of which now involve billions of Euro is penalties and costs to the Polish economy due to the continued heavy use of coal), Poles are screaming to change the rules. The morality and equity of this position is very dubious after taking billions of Euro to make the changes and blowing the money. Poland's behavior toward coal is pretty much that of an alcoholic.... a substance abuser that cannot stop and will use everything around them to feed the habit.
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