Wind energy in Poland: RWE Innogy inaugurates third onshore wind farm

This is enough to meet the equivalent annual electricity demand of over 35,000 households in Poland and to avoid 65,000 tons of CO2 emissions. The 15 wind turbines, made by Siemens, each have a capacity of 2.3 MW, a maximum height of 150 metres and a rotor diameter of 93 metres.

"We aim to install around 300 MW of wind power in Poland by 2015. Tychowo has taken us a big step closer to this target", says Paul Coffey, Chief Operating Officer at RWE Innogy. Tychowo already is the third wind farm that has been commissioned by RWE Innogy in Poland. Together with the Suwalki and Piecki wind farms, the company now has a wind portfolio of around 108 MW in Poland.

The Tychowo wind farm is situated near the city of Stargard Szczecinski. During the twelve months of construction, RWE created a great number of new direct and indirect jobs in the region. Moreover, the local infrastructure was developed.

"Poland offers excellent sites for the development of wind energy. Economic framework conditions are also very attractive so that onshore wind power makes a significant contribution to the development of renewable energies in Poland", adds Paul Coffey. The Polish government plans to increase the share of electricity generated from renewables from 5.7% in 2010 to 19.5% in 2020.

To achieve the development aims for renewables in Poland, electricity generation from renewable energies is subsidised by a system of "green certificates". Electricity suppliers are obliged to offer a certain percentage of the energy fed into the grid on the basis of renewable energies. They may free themselves from this obligation by purchasing additional "green certificates".

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