Polish heavy industry is raising the alarm over soaring energy and CO2 emission costs, warning that the government’s long-standing inaction is dragging down the country’s GDP. At the first Congress of Polish Industry in Warsaw, representatives from energy-intensive sectors – metal, mining, paper and chemicals – said that without immediate support, Poland risks losing competitiveness even within the European Union.
The event, organised by the Chamber of Industrial Energy and Energy Consumers, brought together executives from factories that together account for roughly a quarter of Poland’s budget revenue. The mood was grim. Henryk Kaliś, head of the chamber, stressed that decarbonisation targets require massive investments in new technologies, many of which do not yet exist on an industrial scale. “The European Commission wants to push decarbonisation using technologies that are not ready for industry – like carbon capture. Meanwhile its method is to restrict emission allowances and keep their prices high,” Kaliś noted. He added: “At current CO2 prices, it is simply unprofitable to produce anything inside the EU.”
Energy costs and CO2: The double burden
Deputy Energy Minister Konrad Wojnarowski acknowledged the challenges, describing the present period as “the most difficult for European energy and industry in decades.” He pointed to ongoing work on contracts for difference (CfD) and the implementation of the Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework (CISAF). But industry representatives noted that such mechanisms have been under discussion for years, while actual relief remains scarce. Poland finally submitted its long-overdue National Energy and Climate Plan to the European Commission, two years after the deadline. A long‑term climate strategy, due in 2020, has still not been delivered.
Wojnarowski insisted that the energy ministry treats large industrial consumers as an integral part of the power system, stabilising the grid. “These are predictable consumers that ensure efficient use of infrastructure, especially as renewable generation increases. Processes like steelmaking cannot be stopped from one hour to the next,” he said. The ministry is also preparing a dedicated plan for the sustainable development of the steel industry, promised to be published soon.
Government promises vs. industry frustration
But the gap between declarations and actions is widening. Kaliś argued that the only affordable short‑term solution for industrial plants is the expansion of on‑site wind energy, yet regulatory barriers remain. He warned that the transformation to near‑zero emissions by 2050 – required by EU law – cannot be financed from firms’ own profits alone. “We need a strategic plan for industry, not just for energy,” he stressed, noting that no such national or EU-level document exists.
Representatives at the congress openly accused the government of a lack of real dialogue. Despite a working group at the Ministry of Energy, they said, there is little evidence that Warsaw understands the urgency of the situation. With industrial enterprises generating about 25% of Poland’s GDP, every month of delay deepens the competitive gap. The ministry pledges to rationalise grid charges and increase transparency on the energy market, but for now, many producers are simply waiting – or leaving.
Źródło: WNP.PL, Fot. DedMityay / Shutterstock
