Main conclusions 

• There has been a significant decline in hard coal consumption in the Polish economy. Relative to 2023, the decrease is 14%, and relative to 2015 it is as high as 33%.
• The aggregate share of coal in electricity generation continues to decline and was the lowest ever. Last year it reached 56.2%. This is a decrease relative to 2023 of 4.3 p.p.
• Poland’s dependence on imported raw materials is steadily increasing, mainly due to the increasing share of oil and its derivatives in the structure of raw material consumption. In 2023, the total dependence was 45%, compared to 29% in 2014. Visible is, however, the diversification of supply.
• The total cost of raw material imports in 2024 was approximately PLN 112 billion. We paid the most for fuels and raw materials from Saudi Arabia (29%), Norway (18%) and the United States (17%).
• At the end of 2024, Poland cut itself off completely from fuel and raw material supplies from Russia. For the rest of the year, only LPG fuel was imported from this direction and its share of the total import cost was approximately 1%. By comparison, in 2015, Russia’s share of import costs was 84.5%.
• Natural gas consumption is back to the levels before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began and imports from Russia were cut off. Gas was mainly consumed for industrial purposes, but households are also playing a large and growing role. The increase in consumption of natural gas is mainly seen in the commercial and industrial energy sector.
• There is still a low level of new available capacity in the system. Apart from renewables, the only new large unit in the system was the gas-fired power plant in Gryfino (1.4 GW).
• CO₂ allowance prices are falling – at the end of 2024 they were EUR 67.27/t CO₂ , and the weighted average price for the whole year was EUR 64.75/t CO₂ . This is significantly lower than the allowance prices forecast by the European Commission. From the sale of emission allowances, the state budget received PLN 16.6 billion.
• Poland is still one of the most emitting countries in the world in terms of unit emissivity of energy consumption primary. Only Kuwait, South Africa, Kazakhstan and China were more emissive in 2023.

Selected details

● In 2024, Poland achieved the fifth highest GDP growth among European countries since 2004 (behind Malta, Turkey, Ireland and Kosovo).
● The consumption of energy and fuels (especially for transport) in the Polish economy is steadily increasing, but the role of coal is clearly declining. Combined with an increase in the use of RES, Poland is starting to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
● The Polish economy is slowly returning to the level of natural gas consumption before the suspension of supplies from Russia. 
● There is a clear lack of correlation (so-called decoupling) between economic growth in the form of GDP and declining emissions of greenhouse gases.

● Since 1990, net reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in Poland have amounted to 29.2% (38.4% in the European Union as a whole). However, since 2005 (the year in which the emissions trading scheme was launched) they have fallen by 9.9%.
● Among countries that emitted more than 50 million tonnes of CO₂e in 1990, the leaders in emission reductions are Romania (-71.4%) and Bulgaria (-56.3%).

● Over the period 2014–2023, domestic energy consumption increased by 3.6% (142 PJ), with a 19.2% decrease in supply (-539 PJ). The decrease was mainly due to a decline in the mining of energy resources and the too-slow development of RES, which is not able to replace the losses in obtaing coal, among other things.
● This results in the increasing dependence of the Polish economy on energy imports from abroad.

● The dependence of the Polish economy on energy imports* increased from 29% to 45% between 2014 and 2023. 
● For years, the largest import dependency has been observed for oil. As much as 96–97% of the oil consumed in Poland comes from abroad.
● In 2024, the estimated dependence on natural gas imports was 82%. This is 2 p.p. higher than 2023 and 9 p.p. higher than 10 years ago.
● Steam hard coal imports in 2024 covered 10% of domestic consumption. The decrease compared to 2023 is due to the record low consumption of this raw material. Over the decade, dependence on imported steam coal has increased by 13 p.p.
● Dependence on renewable energy imports (mainly biofuels and biomass) hovers around zero.

● In 2024, after accounting for inflation, the value of net imports of energy and fuel raw materials to Poland was estimated at PLN 112 billion. More than half of this amount (54%) consisted of net imports of crude oil (PLN 60 billion), 23% of natural gas (PLN 26 billion), and 2% of coal (PLN 1.7 billion).
● Only LPG was imported from Russia in 2024. The value of these imports amounted to PLN 1.5 billion, or 1% of the total value of imports of raw materials and fuels. In 2015, imports from Russia accounted for 84% of the total cost. As of 20 December 2024, there is an embargo on LPG from Russia, so imports from this direction should cease. 
● After eliminating fuel supplies from Russia (1% of the total value of imports), Saudi Arabia became the largest beneficiary of Poland’s import dependence. In 2024, it earned PLN 32.9 billion from supplies to Poland. Second place went to Norway and third to the United States.

● The process of diversifying supply sources continues to be evident.
● In 2024, no hard steam coal, natural gas or crude oil was imported from Russia. This source was replaced by countries such as Kazakhstan and Colombia (hard coal); Qatar, the USA and Denmark (natural gas); Saudi Arabia, Norway and the USA (crude oil).
● Since 20 December 2024, an embargo on LPG from Russia has been in force, so imports from this source should cease.

● Gross electricity consumption amounted in 2024 to 171.3 TWh. End-user consumption accounted for 85.1% (145.8 TWh), and the remaining 14.9% (25.5 TWh) included consumption for CHPs’ and power plants’ own needs (8.2% in 2023) and losses in transmission and distribution networks (6.1% in 2023).
● Pumped storage storage power plants required 1.4 TWh of electricity in 2024 – that’s 1.1% of gross domestic consumption. These units produced 1 TWh, so the efficiency of these energy storage units was 71.3%.
● In 2023 (latest data), industry was the largest end-user of electricity (64 TWh). Households consumed 29 TWh.
● Transport consumed 6.4 TWh in 2023. This is an increase of 8.2% y/y and 48.5% on 2015.

● The increase in electricity consumption (associated with the electrification of sectors) will, on the one hand, have the effect of increasing the load on the electric power system, but, on the other hand, will reduce the consumption of total energy (e.g. oil, coal, gas) across the economy due to higher efficiency.
● In 2024, sales of heat pumps were lower than in the previous three years and amounted to more than 80,000 units. At the end of 2024, there were about 737,000 of them in total*. 43,000 electric cars (BEVs and PHEVs) also arrived, totalling more than 141,000 at the end of 2024.

● More than 1.5 GW of natural gas capacity has arrived in 2024, mainly due to new units in Gryfino. 
● On top of this, significant changes have been recorded in renewables, with 5.2 GW added. 
● Solar energy is responsible for most of the increase in renewable capacity (4.4 GW), of which 1.4 GW is photovoltaic prosumer installations.
● There was also an increase of 0.8 GW of wind capacity, which is mostly the result of investments concluded in RES auctions in earlier years.
● The decrease in pumped storage capacity is most likely due to the ongoing modernisation of the Porąbka–Żar power plant.

● At the end of 2024, prosumer installation capacity reached 12.1 GW. This represents an increase of 12.9% (1.4 GW) over the year.
● This capacity consists of almost 1.5 million prosumer installations (+9.9% y/y). Photovoltaic installations account for 99.99% of these.
● Estimated total prosumer electricity production is about 10.5 TWh. Estimated self-consumption was about 2.6 TWh, meaning that about 1.5% of national consumption did not have to be sent through the NPS.
● Prosumers fed 7.9 TWh of electricity into the grid. This corresponds to 4.7% of national generation.

● 56.2% was the share of coal in gross electricity generation in 2024 (4.3 p.p. less than in 2023). 
● Production from RES was 29.4%, 2.3 p.p. more than in 2023. With a record production of 49.8 TWh, more electricity was produced from renewables in 2024 than from lignite.
● Production from wind reached a record level of 24.5 TWh (14.5%). 
● Electricity production from natural gas reached its highest level ever – 20.6 TWh (12.2% of electricity production) – due to new gas units in Gryfino and lower average annual gas prices.
● Coal units recorded the lowest capacity factors in history. Coal values (31%) approached the level of high wind turbines (27%).

● With the development of RES, their role in the balance of the system is increasing – with renewable sources producing 29.4% of energy in 2024. Among them, weather-dependent sources – photovoltaic installations and wind power plants – play a major role. Their share of electricity production reached 23.5%. This compares with only 6.6% in 2015. 
● In 2024, they were responsible for between 0.1% and 63.8% of electricity production each hour. 
● Their production covered a maximum of 79.3% of hourly electricity demand. In 2015, this was 33.9%. 
● The shares of consumption and production are not necessarily equal, as excess production over demand can be exported.

● Production from coal fell by 5.4 TWh (-5.4% y/y): from hard coal decreased by 6.7 TWh (-10.2% y/y) and from lignite increased by 1.3 TWh (+3.6% y/y).
● Higher electricity production from lignite may be due to the fall in the price of CO₂ emission allowances.
● Production from natural gas increased by 3.9 TWh (+23.5% y/y) mainly due to the new gas blocks in Gryfino. 
● Among RES, production from photovoltaics (+34.4% y/y, +3.9 TWh) and wind (+5.5% y/y, +1.2 TWh) grew most rapidly. 
● Pumped storage power plants, the only significant energy storage on a system-wide scale, scored a drop in production this year – 23.9% less than in 2023 – probably due to the shutdown of generators at the Porąbka–Żar power station for modernisation.

● An estimated 731.4 GWh of electricity was subject to non-market redispatch (curtailment) in 2024. This is about 2% of potential production from weather-dependent RES and an amount comparable to the annual demand of 330,000 households. 
● 618 GWh, or 84.5% of the curtailment was for curtailment of photovoltaic (non-prosumer) installations, the remaining 15.5% was for wind farms (113.4 GWh). 
● Curtailment on weekends and holidays amounted to 534.2 GWh, representing 70.3% of the annual reduction, and the maximum reduced hourly production was 6.3 GWh, that occurred on May 1, 2024.
● The estimated savings that reduced energy could bring in 2024 is 263 million PLN*. 
● Non-market redispatch is a tool for maintaining system stability and regulation, used as a last resort by the Transmission System Operator. The main reason for the phenomenon is the low flexibility of the system (primarily conventional power plants) combined with the high capacity of RES.

● In 2024, electricity prices in the markets initially declined relative to the previous year’s prices. The second half of the year saw a rebound in prices. Thus, in the second half of 2024, energy prices in Poland amounted to 106 EUR/MWh – an increase of 5.1% y/y and 43.3% relative to the first half of 2021, i.e. pre-crisis prices.
● Taking all taxes and levies into account, there was a jump in the price of electricity in Poland in the second half of 2024, which amounted to 25.4 eurocents/kWh – still 43% less than in Germany, 35% less than in the Czech Republic and 3% less than in Sweden. The price in Poland was 29% higher than in Slovakia, which had the lowets prices in the region.
● After deducting VAT and all recoverable taxes and tributes, the average price of electricity for industry* in Poland in the second half of 2024 was 21 eurocents/kWh and was 17% lower than for households.

● In 2024, imports of steam hard coal to Poland amounted to 6.2 million tons – 8.5 million tons (-58%) less than in 2023 and 0.9 million tons (+17%) more than in 2015. 
● 51% of imported coal came from Kazakhstan, 39% from Colombia, 3% from the Czech Republic, and 7% from other countries. Not a single ton of imported coal came from Russia. 
● 1.9 million tons of steam coal were exported in 2024 – 0.4 million tons (-25%) more than in 2023 and 5 million tons (-73%) less than in 2014. The main customers for Polish coal were the Czech Republic (47%), Ukraine (25%), Slovakia (12%) and Germany (7%).

● According to estimates by Forum Energii, hard coal consumption in 2024 was about 48 million tons, down from 2023 by about 8 million tons (-14% y/y). 
● Net imports fell by 8.7 million tons (down 71%, to 3.6 million tons). Production fell by 4.6 million tons (down 9%, to 44.0 million tons). Coal inventories decreased by 0.2 million tons. 
● Over the 10-year period, coal consumption fell by about 24.1 million tons (-33%), output fell by 28.7 million tons (-39%), and net imports increased by 4.5 million tons. In 2015 Poland was an exporter of hard coal.

● Estimated consumption of steam hard coal fell by 16% (-8.5 million tons) y/y in 2024, to about 36 million tons. 
● In 2024, 96% of steam coal (35 million tons) was used to produce electricity and heat (at power plants, heating plants and combined heat and power plants). The remaining 4% (1.5 million tons) is the total consumption of other industries.
● Coal consumption for electricity generation is declining the most, with almost all of the decrease relative to 2015 occurring in 2023 and 2024. 
● In 2023 (the latest data available), households consumed 6.5 million tons of steam coal (14% at the time) – that’s 0.2 million tons less y/y (-3%) and 3.4 million tons (-34%) less over 10 years.

● Diversification of natural gas supplies to Poland – following the end of imports from Russia – continued in 2024. It fell from 8.5 bcm in 2014 to zero in 2023. In 2024, there were still no natural gas imports from Russia.
● In 2024, 38% of imported gas came from Denmark (Baltic Pipe). The US (22%) and Qatar (16%) were also important suppliers. Other directions accounted for 23% of imported gas.
● In total, in 2024, natural gas imports (both by pipeline and LNG) amounted to 16.8 bcm, 0.3 bcm more than in the previous year (+2%) and 4 bcm more than 10 years ago (+32%). 
● 0.1 bcm of gas was exported from Poland in 2024 – 88% flowed to Lithuania, 7% to Latvia, 4% to the Czech Republic, and the remaining 1% to Ukraine and Slovakia. 
● LNG imports accounted for 41% (6.8 bcm after regasification) of natural gas imports.

● Natural gas consumption in 2024 increased by an estimated 1.4 bcm (+8% y/y) over the previous year to 19.4 bcm high-methane gas equivalent.
● Net imports increased by 0.9 bcm (+6% y/y, to 15.2 bcm). Domestic production is estimated to have declined by 0.2 bcm (-4% y/y, to 4 bcm), and inventories by 0.5 bcm. By the end of 2024, storage fill was 86.4%. 
● Over the decade, natural gas consumption increased by 3.2 bcm (+20%), while domestic production fell by 1.0 bcm (-19%). Net imports increased by 3.8 bcm (+33%).

● In 2024 1/3 of natural gas (235.8 PJ) was used to produce electricity and heat. Electricity generation accounts for the vast majority of the increase in gas consumption. Total consumption in other sectors of the economy was about 67% (475.1 PJ).
● The largest consumer of gas in Poland is industry, which in 2023 (the latest available data) was responsible for 31% of consumption (207.7 PJ). This represents no growth from the previous year and a 12% decline over the decade. 
● The second largest consumer of gas in Poland is households, which in 2023 was responsible for 27% of consumption (176.1 PJ). This represents a 3% y/y decline, but a 34% increase over the decade. 
● Natural gas consumption declined in 2022 as a result of rising prices and cutting off imports from Russia. However, it is slowly returning to pre-war levels.

● In 2024, the diversification of the directions of crude oil supplies to Poland continued – imports from Russia were zero. In 2015, it was 83% (21.8 million tons), and in 2023. 5% (1.1 million tons). 
● Russia's place in crude oil supplies to Poland was taken by Saudi Arabia (54% of imports, 13.3 million tons) and Norway (30%, 7.6 million tons). The USA brought 7% of it (1.7 million tons), and other directions accounted for 9% (2.3 million tons). 
● In total, Poland’s oil imports amounted to 25 million tons, similar to 2023. 
● Poland exports almost no crude oil. The only, insignificant stream (0.18 million tons) flowed, as every year, to Germany.

● Crude oil consumption declined to 25.4 million tons in 2023, down 1.2 million tons y/y (-5%) (latest available data). 
● Net imports declined by 1.3 million tons (down 5%, to 24.8 million tons), and domestic production fell by 3% (to 0.8 million tons). Inventories increased by 0.3 million tons. 
● Over the 2014–2023 decade, crude oil consumption increased by 1.3 million tons (+5%), production decreased by 0.1 million tons (-13%), and net imports increased by 1.5 million tons (+7%).

● Energy commodity prices in 2024 were still above the level before the energy crisis and Russian aggression against Ukraine. 
● Natural gas recorded a price increase relative to 2023. On the European TTF exchange, the price increase is 11% y/y, on the Polish TGE – 21%, and on the US Henry Hub – 19%. Relative to 2019, these prices are 108% and 118% higher, respectively, and 2% lower on Henry Hub. 
● The price of coal fell 14% y/y on the European ARA exchange. However, relative to 2019, coal was 40% more expensive.
● Polish coal (PSCMI1) saw the biggest price drop in 2024, falling 34% y/y. However, it is still 19% more expensive than at the end of 2019.

● In 2023, Poland was ranked fifth in the world (two places lower than in the previous year) in terms of emissivity of primary energy consumption. 
● Kuwait had the most carbon-intensive economy (3.38 t CO₂ /toe). Poland, with a score of 2.74 t CO₂ /toe (-0.15 y/y), ranked just behind China (2.93 t CO₂ /toe). In comparison, the British economy emitted 26% less than Poland (2.02 t CO₂ /toe), and the French economy emitted 54% less (1.26 t CO₂ /toe).

● The emissivity of electricity production in 2023 in Poland was 614 kg CO2 /MWh, the second highest in the EU (Poland was the most emissive in 2022). 
● Such high emissivity has and will continue to have an impact on industry, due to the growing importance of the carbon footprint in industrial production, which must be reported. With high prices of CO₂ emission allowances the cost of generation of electricity also increases significantly, which translates into high prices on the wholesale market.

 ● In December 2024, the weighted average monthly price of CO₂ emission allowances on the primary market (EEX) was 67.27 EUR/t CO₂ . The weighted average price for the whole year was 64.75 EUR/t CO₂. 
● There was a decrease in the price of EUAs* in 2024 compared to the previous year. 
● The volume of allowances sold by Poland amounted to 59.3 million tons in 2024. This is 5.8 million tons less than in 2023. 
● The country’s budget gained PLN 16.6 billion from auctions of CO₂ emission allowances (EUA and EUAA**). This is PLN 8.1 billion less than in 2023, but PLN 16 billion more than in 2015. 
● Total state budget revenues from the sale of CO₂ emission allowances between 2015 and 2024 were nominally PLN 123.5 billion, which, after taking inflation into account (in constant 2024 prices), corresponds to PLN 150.4 billion.

This article is a selection of key data collected in the report 'Energy Transformation in Poland. Edition 2025'. Read the full report to learn more!