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Poland to pour billions into energy: PM

18.03.2026 12:00
Poland plans to invest up to PLN 1 trillion (around EUR 230 billion) in its energy sector over the next decade, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Wednesday, outlining an ambitious push to strengthen energy security and support economic growth.
Polands Prime Minister Donald Tusk speaks at the PowerConnect energy conference in the Baltic city of Gdańsk on Wednesday, March 18, 2026
Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk speaks at the PowerConnect energy conference in the Baltic city of Gdańsk on Wednesday, March 18, 2026Photo: PAP/Andrzej Jackowski

Speaking at the PowerConnect energy conference in the Baltic city of Gdańsk, Tusk said the investment would cover power generation, transmission infrastructure and distribution networks.

More than PLN 220 billion will be allocated to renewable energy sources and storage, PLN 234 billion to distribution, and PLN 160 billion to nuclear energy, he said.

“No other country in Europe is transforming its energy sector so intensively and so quickly,” Tusk said.

He told the conference that Poland’s growing economy requires reliable and affordable energy, while acknowledging that the country still has significant ground to make up after years of underinvestment.

Tusk pointed to major projects underway, including Poland’s first nuclear power plant, being developed with US and Canadian partners, as well as large offshore wind farms in the Baltic Sea and one of Europe’s largest battery storage facilities near the northern village of Żarnowiec.

He also cited spending on transmission networks and the expansion of the Naftoport oil terminal in the port of Gdańsk.

The prime minister said energy security has become a central issue amid geopolitical tensions, including the war in Ukraine and instability in the Middle East.

“Energy and security are inseparable,” Tusk said, warning against any return to reliance on Russian oil and gas. “There is no question of going back to energy business with Russia.”

Tusk also said Poland, along with several other EU countries, has called on the European Commission to extend free carbon emission allowances for industry, arguing that energy and climate policies should be more flexible and better aligned with economic competitiveness.

The joint appeal—backed by countries including Italy, Belgium, Austria, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Greece—reflects growing concern in parts of Europe about high energy costs and their impact on industry, Polish state news agency PAP reported.

Tusk said he would push for changes in EU energy policy to allow member states greater flexibility in shaping their energy mix.

(gs)

Source: IAR, PAP