Poland plans to create a parastatal organisation to take over and lignite-fired power plants from state-owned energy groups PGE (57.4% state-owned), Enea (51.5% state-owned) and Tauron (30.1% state-owned). The reform, which should be introduced to the agenda of the government, is expected to help power companies raise funds for green projects, as banks have shed away from backing coal-dependent companies.
Coal accounts for 68% of the country’s installed capacity with 31 GW (2020) and PGE, Enea and Tauron currently own 70 coal-fired and lignite-fired power blocks. The groups should separate coal and lignite mines and lignite-fired power plants - coal-fired CHP plants are not included in the reform, as they should be modernised - and sell them to the State Treasury. The Treasuary would then group the lignite-fired assets with PGE Górnictwo i Energetyka Konwencjonalna, that would be renamed National Energy Security Agency (NABE), by 2022. NABE will conduct investments needed to maintain plants’ operational efficiency and gradually phase out coal-fired units.