Is an energy blackout just around the corner? Marcin Tuszkiewicz & Jakub Wiech

The war in Ukraine and Moscow's gas blackmail have shown how risky it is lack of adequate diversification of the domestic energy sector. Marcin Tuszkiewicz and the deputy editor-in-chief of the website talked about the condition of the Polish energy sector, its prospects and the risks associated with the energy transformation Energy24Jacob Wiech.

A blackout is, by definition, a sudden and unexpected power outage. There can be many reasons for its occurrence, but most often it is overloading or complete destruction of the country's energy infrastructure. So far, unexpected power outages in Poland occur sporadically and rarely last longer than a few hours. However, last year proved that the risk of an energy crisis in Europe – a continent until recently dependent on Russian hydrocarbons – is quite real.

Blackout as a serious failure of the energy system is somehow fitted, the risk of blackout is fitted to the existence of such a device as the energy system. Because the system (...), like any device, has its failure rate. This risk is always there - but it varies over time. Currently, in Poland, this blackout risk is quite significant (…) compared to other European Union countries, it is significant – convinces Jakub Wiech in the first minutes of the conversation.

What next for the valuation of Polish energy companies?

The transformation of the Polish energy sector is a necessity. At the beginning of February 2023, 25 photovoltaic companies with a market value of PLN 4,4 billion were listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. Examples of companies such as Sunex or Photon Energy, which ended the last year with a rate of return counted in tens or even hundreds of percent, capture the imagination of investors. However, despite the growing pressure to transition the Polish energy sector to renewable energy sources – not every investment in a company from the photovoltaics industry turned out to be successful.

According to the darkest forecasts of the Ministry of Climate and Environment, after 2030 we will have about 11 gigawatts of deficit power, i.e. we will miss about one-fifth of the currently working capacity in the system. It's a lot. You can ask yourself who will build a factory in a country that is not able to provide enough, clean enough energy for its entrepreneurs (…) no one will want to consider Poland as an investment destination, so this energy transformation we are talking about is de in fact, a game for the stability and competitiveness of the Polish economy – continues Jakub Wiech.