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The wind power market is on the rise. This is a good opportunity to consider this source not only in terms of viability, but also more broadly – its impact on issues of independence from energy imports. How is the market growing today and what are its perspectives and challenges?

As indicated in the report “Wind energy in Europe: 2021 statistics and forecasts for 2022-2026,” developed by the European association WindEurope, a total of 660 MW of onshore wind farms were installed in Poland in 2021 alone. Onshore thus met 9% of the country’s electricity demand. However, interest in renewable energy sources is high not only because of the climate targets set by the European Commission, but also – and perhaps especially – because of the need for at least partial energy independence for our country. This need has been dramatically highlighted by the war in Ukraine and the European sanctions imposed on the Russian aggressor.

Increasing demand

Consulting and engineering companies are noticing a growing interest in wind installation preparation services. A representative of ILF Consulting Engineers Polska, a company that has obtained offshore wind power contracts worth more than 20 million PLN, talks about what they are currently looking for.

Investors submit various inquiries to us: for technical, formal, legal, environmental consulting, determination of technical parameters, preparation of input for applications for permits to erect or exploit artificial islands, installations and equipment in Polish maritime areas, permits to lay and maintain cables or pipelines in areas of internal sea waters and territorial sea, obtaining permits and decisions at the stage of geological surveys, preparation of a counter-application for a location permit or elaboration of a conceptual design,” says Beata Nepelska-Kula, Managing Director of ILF Consulting Engineers Polska. – We witness an incerase in inquiries – in 2021 we received 6 times more inquiries for offshore wind energy services than just 3 years earlier. This shows that the country’s energy transition is gaining momentum.

No wind power without storage systems

Holistic way of thinking about the management system of this important energy resource for Poland is the key to achieving the goals set in PEP 2040.

Wind energy is developing rapidly, but this must go hand in hand with the expansion of the energy distribution and storage system. We have participated and are currently participating in most of the offshore wind power projects carried out in Poland, and we see that there is a growing awareness of the role of RES in the pursuit of greater energy independence for the country,” says Beata Nepelska-Kula, Managing Director of ILF Consulting Engineers Polska. As she adds: wind energy is, of course, dependent on weather conditions. The irregularity of renewable energy production is one of the biggest contemporary challenges facing our industry. Windmills alone are not enough: in parallel, we need to develop infrastructure that enables energy distribution and storage, as well as solutions that allow the integration of more sources into the power grid.

This is well illustrated by the example of photovoltaics. Interest in photovoltaic installations is high, but a well-known problem is the issue of connecting a large-scale source to the grid. In order to avoid this, it is necessary to adapt the entire infrastructure to the actual needs of new installations.

Need for specialists

The wind power market is set to grow. As indicated by the Report of the Polish Wind Energy Association and the Jagiellonian Institute (February 2022), onshore is expected to provide up to 51-97,000 new jobs by 2030. On the other hand, the publication “Energy (re)new,” prepared by ILF Consulting Engineers Polska, draws attention to the demand for workers in the offshore field. Here 77,000 new jobs are expected to be created by 2030.

Universities and colleges are also seeing this, offering many new, future-oriented courses. This is very important, because staff shortages can be a serious challenge for the renewable energy market. Thus, there is a need for qualified specialists, funds for infrastructure development, a holistic view of the system, but also the creation of an appropriate energy mix.