Wind Farm Development: Onshore and Offshore in Poland
Wind energy in Poland operates within a complex regulatory environment that has undergone significant changes over the past decade. While onshore wind development has been largely frozen since 2016 due to restrictive setback rules, the offshore sector has emerged as a major growth area with substantial government and private sector commitment.
The 10H rule and onshore constraints
The Distance Act of 2016 introduced the so-called 10H rule, requiring all new wind turbines to be located at a distance of at least ten times their total height from any residential building. For a modern turbine with a height of 200 metres, this means a minimum setback of 2 kilometres.
The practical effect of this regulation has been to halt nearly all new onshore wind investment. Between 2016 and 2024, virtually no new onshore wind capacity was permitted in Poland, despite the technology being commercially competitive and having strong investor interest.
Legislative amendments proposed in late 2025 would reduce the minimum distance to 500 metres with the consent of the relevant municipal council. If enacted, this change could unlock an estimated 4–6 GW of additional onshore wind capacity.
Baltic Sea offshore programme
Poland's offshore wind programme targets 11 GW of installed capacity in the Baltic Sea by 2040. The programme is structured in two phases. Phase I, covering approximately 5.9 GW, was awarded through contracts for difference (CfD) in 2023. Phase II capacity will be allocated through competitive auctions.
- Phase I: 5.9 GW awarded via CfD, first operational by 2028
- Phase II: additional 5.1 GW via competitive auctions (2027–2030)
- Key developers: Ørsted, Equinor, PGE, Polenergia, RWE
- Supply chain: port infrastructure at Gdynia and Świnoujście
- Grid connection: HVAC cables to onshore substations
Technical standards and environmental assessment
All wind energy projects in Poland must comply with environmental impact assessment requirements under the Environmental Protection Act. For offshore installations, additional assessments covering marine ecology, migratory bird patterns, and seabed geology are required.
Turbine technology deployed in the Baltic programme is expected to utilise 14–15 MW class machines, significantly larger than the 3–4 MW units typical of Poland's existing onshore fleet. These larger turbines offer improved capacity factors and lower levelised cost of energy.
Grid integration challenges
Integrating large volumes of variable wind generation into the Polish grid presents technical challenges related to balancing, transmission capacity, and reserve management. The transmission system operator, PSE, has published a grid development plan that includes significant investment in north-south transmission corridors to transport offshore wind generation to demand centres in central and southern Poland.
Energy storage — particularly battery storage systems — is expected to play an increasing role in managing the intermittency of wind generation. The government has indicated that storage capacity targets will be included in the updated National Energy and Climate Plan.