On Wednesday, February 16, at around 6:15 pm the power production by wind turbines broke a new record. Windy weather and record rotations of windmills translated into lower energy prices.

According to data provided by Polish Power Grids, the operator of the electricity system in Poland, on Wednesday, February 16 at 18-19 pm Polish wind farms produced 6,717.9 MWh of energy. Record power was recorded at 6.15 pm, then the windmills were working with a capacity of 6,748.5 MW. The previous record was set on January 29 – at 6.15 p.m. wind farms operated with a capacity of 6 682.8 MW, and at 17-18 pm they produced 6646 MWh of electricity.

In January 2022, the wind energy sector set a couple of records in terms of electricity production. Due to favourable weather conditions, it generated an estimated 2.5 TWh in January, which is a historic result. Such a large production means that the wind energy worked on average with the power of nearly 3,500 MW, i.e. with almost 50% productivity.

Along with the increase in wind conditions, a decrease in energy prices is observed. On Wednesday, on the Warsaw Power Exchange, the weighted average BASE price on the day-ahead market fell to PLN 387.29 / MWh.

Specialists say that the renewable energy sector in Poland does not use its potential. No new wind farm may be built without changes to the law. Current investments at the construction phase are projects commenced before the introduction of the 10H rule under the Distance Act.

Positively assessed by the Joint Committee of the Government and Local Government, the amendment to this harmful provision is currently being processed by the government and may still be submitted to the Sejm in the first quarter of 2022. The draft of the upgraded law envisages resignation from the so-called distance principle, assuming a minimum distance of the power plant from the building equal to ten times the height of the wind farm (10H) and introduces an absolute minimum distance of 500 meters.

Arkadiusz Słomczyński