Polish Briefing: Greenpeace blocked a coal cargo from Mozambique to Poland

What goes on in Poland on the 10th of September.

Greenpeace blocked a coal cargo from Mozambique to Poland

On September 9, Greenpeace activists blocked a coal cargo heading for the port of Gdansk. Activists painted the huge inscription “Coal stop” on the ship’s side, while the Rainbow Warrior ship entered the port and dropped anchor at the coal terminal, preventing unloading of raw material flowing to Poland from Mozambique. A peaceful protest is to draw the Polish government’s attention to the urgent need for climate protection measures and the need to move away from coal by 2030, the organization says.

Polish imported coal

Greenpeace warns that over the past two years, coal imports to Poland have more than doubled to almost 20 million tons. Every fourth ton of hard coal burned in Poland is already from abroad. The vast majority comes from Russia, and the rest is from Australia, the United States, Colombia or Mozambique. According to the latest data of the Polish Geological Institute, the bill for imported coal in 2018 amounted to almost PLN 8 billion and was over three times higher than 2 years ago.

Energy strategy dispute

The Polish Energy Policy Project by 2040 assumes a reduction of the share of coal in the energy mix from below 80 percent now to 60 percent in 2040. This is to happen mainly with the help of nuclear power, which is also criticized by Greenpeace. The alternative is the development of renewable energy supported by gas blocks. Critics of this solution point to the risk of replacing coal dependence with imported gas.