A Vision for Poland’s Clean Energy Transition

The report argues that Poland, as one of Europe's most carbon-intensive economies, must adopt a diversified technology portfolio to achieve climate neutrality. It recommends a shift from coal (currently 70% of the power mix) toward a combination of renewables, nuclear energy, carbon capture and storage (CCS), clean hydrogen, and superhot rock geothermal energy. The authors emphasize that restricting technology options would significantly increase system costs and infrastructure needs. Key policy recommendations include implementing 'carbon contracts for difference' to advance CCS, prioritizing clean hydrogen for 'no regrets' industrial sectors, and reforming the nuclear industry through standardized, product-based business models. Additionally, the report calls for urgent action to reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector and the mapping of thousands of abandoned wells. Public polling indicates strong Polish support for advanced nuclear (63%) and superhot rock energy (66%).

• Poland's power sector is highly carbon-intensive, with coal accounting for 70% of the power mix, necessitating a transition to nearly the same percentage of zero-carbon sources by mid-century.
• A diversified, options-based approach to decarbonisation is essential; limiting technology choices, such as excluding new nuclear or CCS-equipped gas plants, could triple the required energy infrastructure and significantly raise costs.
• Industrial facilities in Poland produce 42.56 million tons of CO2 annually (14% of total emissions), and CCS is identified as a cost-effective necessity for hard-to-abate sectors like cement, lime, and chemicals.
• Poland is the third-largest hydrogen producer in Europe, producing 1.3 million tonnes in 2022, but this is primarily carbon-intensive 'grey' hydrogen that must be transitioned to clean alternatives.
• Clean hydrogen should be prioritized for 'no regrets' sectors—heavy industries where it is a critical feedstock and no other efficient alternatives exist—rather than for power generation or residential heating.
• The report suggests a fundamental reset of the nuclear industry, moving from bespoke mega-projects to a product-based model of standardized, manufactured reactors to reduce overnight construction costs by up to 60%.
• Methane mitigation is presented as a high-impact, low-cost climate action, with a specific need for Poland to map and seal tens of thousands of abandoned and orphaned wells.
• Superhot rock energy (temperatures above 400°C) is proposed as a potential source of local, always-on baseload power, though it requires significant research and public funding to reach commercial viability by the 2040s.
• Public polling in Poland shows high levels of support for clean firm technologies, with 66% supporting superhot rock energy and 63% supporting advanced nuclear energy.

APA

Lagurashvili, T., Carr, A., Locke, B., Spokas, K., Qvist, M., Martin, S. A., Maxwell, A. J., Pernot, E., & Botrel, M. (2024). A Vision for Poland’s Clean Energy Transition. Clean Air Task Force. https://www.catf.us/resource/a-vision-for-polands-clean-energy-transition/

Chicago

Lagurashvili, Tamara, Alex Carr, Brandon Locke, Kasparas Spokas, Malwina Qvist, Sara Albares Martin, Andrew James Maxwell, Eadbhard Pernot, and Marcelo Botrel. A Vision for Poland’s Clean Energy Transition. Clean Air Task Force, 2024. https://www.catf.us/resource/a-vision-for-polands-clean-energy-transition/.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{lagurashvili2024vision, author = {Lagurashvili, Tamara and Carr, Alex and Locke, Brandon and Spokas, Kasparas and Qvist, Malwina and Martin, Sara Albares and Maxwell, Andrew James and Pernot, Eadbhard and Botrel, Marcelo}, title = {{A Vision for Poland’s Clean Energy Transition}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2024}, month = mar, url = {https://www.catf.us/resource/a-vision-for-polands-clean-energy-transition/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }