Polish state-owned energy group Energa and Enea have suspended financing for their joint 1 GW coal-fired power plant project in Ostrołęka (northeastern Poland), which could lead to the suspension of construction works. Construction has already started, reaching 5% at the end of January 2020, but the two utilities struggle to secure the full financing, as bank are reluctant to fund coal-fired power projects.
The Ostrołęka project would have been the latest coal-fired project to be built in Poland. In 2017 China Power Engineering Consulting Group was selected for its development in a competitive tender proposing its development at PLN 4.5bn (US$1.16bn). The project was expected to be operational by mid-2023. Earlier in February 2020, the Polish Ministry of Infrastructure announced that it was evaluating whether the 1 GW coal-fired power plant should actually be built as a gas-fired power plant. Changing fuel might require additional time for development as the national grid operator estimates that connecting the project to the grid would take at least five years.