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Polish Briefing 24 May, 2019 9:00 am   
COMMENTS: Mateusz Gibała

Polish Briefing: Orlen calls for an offshore support system

What goes on in Poland on the 24th of May.

Orlen calls for an offshore support system

– We need a stable support system, financial security for projects that will operate for 25-30 years, says Krzysztof Kidawa, President of Baltic Power from the PKN Orlen Group.

If we start with projects such as offshore, which are at the early stage of implementation, and their number is small, it is difficult to create conditions in which we will compete in price, said Kidawa. He added that there are various models on the market, such as a contract for difference. – We need a stable support system, financial security for projects that will work for 25-30 years. We should think about a more effective system to complete all pilot projects within the first phase of already prepared projects. Germany also implemented several phases of development of the offshore market. Currently, they are preparing a system for the development of the third phase – said the president.

He added that 10 GW of offshore wind farms is a part of the draft of Energy Policy Until 2040 strategy. – These are investments worth 100 billion zlotys. The amount and scale of investment validates the creation of a single, consistent legal system and support system. Such large investments should be implemented in a transparent manner – he said

He also talked about the need to speed up procedures. – There have not been so far such economic processes, as including offshore to Polish energy system. Of course, it is not possible to copy paste solutions from the UK to Poland because Great Britain has a different legal culture. We see in Orlen how contracting in the upstream sector differs, on the global market, he stressed. 

He suggested that, within the geological law, it should be possible to buy geological data from a partner, a neighbor, to shorten the process. – The same studies cost millions of dollars. You can buy them from another consortium that has already done such research, which will shorten the time. We should look at foreign experiences and optimize solutions that we already have in the upstream sector, for example – he emphasized.

– We have been preparing for this project for a long time, but now we know that we want to implement it. It’s a matter of time for us. However, we need changes that I mentioned – he concluded.