Low-carbon displaces coal in Poland's plan

[FBaggins]

Poland will reduce dependence on brown and black coal by introducing nuclear power and renewables, according a draft energy policy to 2050 released for consultation.

The Polish government put forward two main scenarios for future energy supply. Both see nuclear power introduced in 2020 and expanding to become "an important element of the energy sector after 2025", along with renewable sources.

One forecast has nuclear power producing 50 TWh per year from 2035 - in line with the government's ambition to build two nuclear power plants with capacity of 3000 MWe each. At the same time, renewables grow to about 60 TWh per year in 2035 and on to about 75 TWh by 2050.

Another scenario has nuclear growing more quickly and by 2050 producing 74 TWh per year, while renewables expand more gradually to 49 TWh in 2050.

What both scenarios have in common is that the total low-carbon generation from nuclear and renewables reaches around 125 TWh per year in 2050, and the consumption of coal drops by close to 40%.

http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NP-Low-carbon-displaces-coal-in-Polands-plan-2108141.html

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

1. Opening themselves up for more Polish jokes?

In the wake of Fukushima, when various other countries are gearing down their nuclear power production, they decide it's time to gear up?

[FBaggins]

2. "various other countries are gearing down" ?

Far more countries are gearing up than gearing down. The only question is to what extent that "gearing up" outpaces the rapid nuclear expansion from the 70s/80s