RWE Innogy, the renewable energy arm of German utility RWE, is to build wind power projects in Poland with a total capacity of 200 MW. The company has secured the project sites and also concluded a contract with a project developer.
The company is taking advantage of a favourable environment for renewable energy in Poland, where energy utilities have to provide 10.4 per cent of energy consumption from renewable energy sources by 2010, and 15 per cent by 2020.
RWE Innogy has secured sites in Masuria and Pomerania for the projects, and expects the first project permits to be awarded by the end of 2008. The first wind power systems are due to come on line in 2010.
In 2007, RWE took over two wind power projects in Poland with a total capacity of around 80 MW. These are due to be commissioned in 2009.
Poland’s grid operator, PSE, estimates that 4000 MW of wind power capacity will have to be commissioned by 2010 in order for the country to reach its renewable energy goals. Poland has a current wind power capacity of 300 MW.
