Investments in renewable energy sources are an integral part of the ongoing energy transition in Europe and around the world. Today, the main beneficiaries are giant companies specializing in the production of photovoltaic panels and wind turbines. However, the Polish company Grenevia, owned by the Domogałów family, wants to join this peloton and challenge foreign giants.
Its subsidiary Famor is trying to convince the new government to cooperate in implementing the Polish windmill concept. Details of the project were presented this week by Famor President Miroslav Bendzera at a meeting of two Senate committees: National Economy and Innovation and Climate and Environment.
— The Polish mill is a strategic, and even a cultural, necessity for all of us. This is similar to the construction of the port of Gdynia in the interwar period, when we needed a window to the world and transportation was the key to Polish development. Today, energy security and the creation of new industries are of strategic importance. We can build Polish wind turbines based on Polish employees and Polish technology – Miroslav Bendzera, head of Famor, argued in front of the senators.
The concept aims to enable Poland's energy transition independent of foreign suppliers. The plan also aims to sell the devices to other European countries.
— We will not only build the Polish windmill ourselves, but we will also service it, develop it and supply spare parts. Today we already have the resources, people, technical resources and experience to build such facilities. Bendzera today appealed to the need for a clear strategic political decision regarding the possibility of involving energy companies managed by the state treasury in the project. He added: “As Polish businessmen, we do not come for money, but for a political declaration.”
The transcript continues below the video
Greenvia wants to enter into an alliance with state-controlled companies for several reasons. First of all, he needs energy support, regarding, among other things, connecting the installation to the network. An important element of the cooperation will also be the indication of the location where the Polish windmill could be launched, tested and certified. Moreover, energy companies will become the first consumers of electricity from this wind farm.
The first energy produced by a Polish windmill in two years
Greenvia claims to be able to launch serial production of wind turbines within two years. Today, the Group, through its subsidiary Famur, repairs and services turbine gears for local wind farm operators and is constantly expanding the supply chain for the industry. The company claims so Up to 75 percent of items and services related to Polish windmill production can be found in Poland as part of the national supply chain.
— The project is part of the re-industrialization of economic sectors that have become the domain of suppliers from Asian countries in recent decades, Bendzera emphasizes.
According to the company's calculations, taking into account the assumptions of the Polish Energy Policy until 2040 (PEP2040), more than 9.4 GW of onshore wind energy will be installed in our country over the next 15 years, i.e. About 2,300 windmills. – It will depend only on us whether Polish companies will build it – adds Bendzera.
The Polish Wind Energy Association (PWEA) goes further and believes that the estimates stipulated in PEP2040 are clearly underestimated. The organization predicts that by 2040, in a best-case scenario, we could have up to 69 GW of wind farm capacity, of which 36 GW is on land and 33 GW is offshore, compared to less than 10 GW at the end of 2023. To achieve this goal, We need, however, to unleash inward investment. The PiS government has introduced such restrictive rules for farm construction that it has made it practically impossible to implement new projects. The new government has already announced that it will ease regulations.
Wind giants
According to the 2022 Bloomberg BNEF report, The largest global player among wind turbine manufacturers is the Chinese company Goldwind. The Danish Vestas took second place, and the American company GE closed the podium. Immediately behind them in the ranking are the following companies: Chinese Envision, German Siemens Gamesa, and Chinese Mingyang. BNEF analysts point out that the top ten turbine suppliers include as many as six manufacturers from China.
Top wind turbine producers in terms of projects completed (in GW) in 2022.
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BloombergNEF
Danish company Vestas, the second player in this ranking, opened the construction of an offshore wind farm plant in Szczecin on Friday. The plant will assemble balls and shafts for the company's flagship 15 MW wind turbine. The factory is scheduled to open in 2025 Employing approximately 700 people. The Danish company also plans to build a second factory in Szczecin, which will produce turbine blades. Inauguration of the second factory, which It is giving more than 1000. JobsScheduled for 2026
Author: Barbara Oksinska, journalist at Business Insider Polska
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