by Tomasz Cukiernik, Journalist and author

SCE publie une communication que Tomasz Cukiernik a récemment présentée  à une réunion MCC-Brussels (Mathias Corvinus Collegium). Cet article, en droite ligne de l’article publié par SCE sur le Pacte Vert, montre à quel point les conséquences résultant de l’application de ce Pacte sont néfastes pour l’économie d’un pays (ou d’autres…). L’article de Tomasz Cukiernik démontre cet état de fait à partir de données précises reflétant une situation économique actuelle d’un grand pays. Pour SCE les conséquences semblent d’autant plus absurdes que le CO₂ n’est pas un problème, comme régulièrement discuté dans nos colonnes. Ci-dessous une courte présentation de l’auteur.

SCE publishes a paper that Tomasz Cukiernik recently presented at the MCC-Brussels (Mathias Corvinus Collegium) meeting. This paper, in line with the article published by SCE on the Green Pact, shows just how damaging the economic consequences of applying the Green Pact are for a country  (or others…). Tomasz Cukiernik’s article demonstrates this situation with precise data reflecting the current economic situation of a major country. For SCE, the consequences seem even more absurd that CO₂ is not a problem, as regularly discussed in our columns. Below is a short presentation by the author.

Tomasz Cukiernik, author of Climate Sabotage: How the Energy Transition is Ruining Our Lives?, discussed Poland’s coal industry, emphasizing that despite the country’s vast reserves, EU policies have led to mine closures and increased energy costs. He argued that Poland must resist the Green Deal to maintain energy sovereignty.

Cogeneration coal plant, Katowice, white smoke is water vapor.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The closure of mining in Poland has been ongoing since the early 1990s. In 1989, there were 70 hard coal mines in Poland, employing 416,000 people, and in 2024, 17 mines employed only 71,000 people. According to plans, all mines producing thermal coal are to be closed by 2049 at the latest. Hard coal and lignite production in Poland decreased from 216 million tons in 1990 to 85 million tons in 2024, i.e. by 60%. Hard coal production in 2023 fell to the level from before World War I! This led to the social degradation of entire cities in Upper and Lower Silesia (e.g. Bytom, Siemianowice Śląskie, Świętochłowice, Wałbrzych). As a result of decreasing extraction, Poland is exporting less and less coal, while at the same time – to meet demand – it is importing more and more year by year. Before joining the EU in 2003, Poland exported 20 million tons of coal. In 2023 it was 4 million tons. At the same time, import increased from 2.5 million tons to 17 million tons.

Mines that have remained rich hard coal resources are being closed down – for example, “Morcinek”, “Siersza”, “Dębieńsko”, “Makoszowy”, “Krupiński” and many others. The state’s actions towards the “Krupiński” were particularly outrageous. The mine shafts were filled in and the above-ground facilities were destroyed, despite the fact that 870 million tons of high-quality coal remained in the deposit. Private Polish and German investors were interested in taking over the mine. Politicians preferred to waste over 200 million euro to liquidate the « Krupiński » mine. The decision was made, among other things, due to inability to finance an investment of approximately 50 million euro.

Polish mining does not need liquidation, because it could still supply energy with coal for many decades. According to the Polish Geological Institute, documented balance resources of hard coal deposits amounted to over 64 billion tons, and the geological balance resources of lignite – over 23 billion tons. This means that there would be enough coal in Poland for several centuries. Brussels ordered Poland to eliminate mining and coal energy, and the obedient Polish authorities are doing so.

In 1990, coal supplied almost 100% of electricity and system heating in Poland. Currently, over 60% of electricity and system heating is generated from coal. Thanks to this, Poland is still largely both energy sovereign, because it does not have to import coal in a large scale, and energy secure, because coal continuously provides stable energy. In addition, it is the cheapest energy. If we get rid of coal, we will cease to be energy sovereign (gas, uranium will have to be imported, as well as electricity and technology itself) and we will cease to be energy secure, because renewable energy sources do not produce energy when there is demand, but only when the wind blows or the sun shines. The problem is balancing. The amount of electricity needed at a given moment must be produced at a given moment. This results from the laws of physics and even EU subsidies will not change it. For this reason, situations very often occur when over 90% of electricity is generated from coal. Precisely because there is no wind or sun. As a result, relying on renewable energy sources means that there will be fluctuations throughout the year: excess energy, deficiency, excess, deficiency… Energy storage will not help much. Currently, storage will provide energy for… 20 minutes. PGE company plans to build the largest energy storage in Europe. The installation in Żarnowiec would provide energy for less than… 3 minutes. This means that there will be power shortages in the power grid and even blackouts. If we continue to decarbonize, renewable sources will not provide as much energy as society and the economy need, and by 2030 there will be a shortage of about 13% of power, and by 2040 even 35%.

It is impossible to conduct any business without energy. Green Deal means first a huge increase in energy prices, which will cause the Polish economy to lose its competitiveness, what is already happening. Second step – blackouts are a complete destruction for the economy. Liquidation of millions of Polish companies and poverty for millions of Polish families. This will bring also loss of military security, because there will be no money for the army, soldiers and weapons. Is this what Brussels wants?

Therefore, the solution for Poland, if we want to have cheap and stable electricity and heat, is coal, a raw material that we have available in a huge quantities. Of course, Polish energy system is not perfect, it needs to be deregulated and privatized, but Brussels demands an energy revolution, while we need evolution. And this is happening. Since 2008, 7 very modern coal-fired units have been built in Poland, meeting the highest BAT and other EU environmental standards, which produce 50% more energy with the same amount of coal and the same CO₂ emissions. And now the work of these units is blocked by the fact that wind turbines and panels have priority in access to the power grid. The eighth unit was to be the Ostrołęka C unit, but its half-advanced construction was suspended. Over 1 billion euro was wasted. New coal-fired units are not being built. The liquidation of old coal-fired units is starting, which are only partially replaced by new gas-fired units, to which gas, however, has to be mostly imported. Continuing the replacement of old coal-fired units with modern ones would be much cheaper than the billions spent on renewable sources, that cannot produce energy when we need it.

China extracts 55 times more coal than Poland and Chinese coal-fired power plants emit 33 times more CO₂ than Polish coal-fired power plants, but it was Poland, that agreed to save the climate, not China. In addition, investments in coal-fired power generation in the world are growing, e.g. in China and India.

That is why Poland must stop implementing the Green Deal as soon as possible and apologize to coal. Poland’s energy sovereignty and energy security can only be built AGAINST EU policy.

nb: https://tomaszcukiernik.pl