On November 25, we invited representatives of industrial companies and their associations, as well as other experts, to a joint discussion on the electrification of industry. Thanks to many interesting voices and perspectives, the meeting made it possible to define the main barriers in this area and ways to overcome them. 

Polish industry faces a number of challenges related to the energy transition. In order to remain competitive, it must reduce its carbon footprint, secure access to cheap energy at a predictable price, and balance the burdens resulting from EU emission reduction instruments (the EU ETS system for heavy industry, the upcoming ETS2 for smaller industrial installations). Meeting these challenges requires both business decisions (such as investments in new technologies and changing energy sources) and support from national regulations (which should support this change). 

One of the solutions with high potential for decarbonizing industry is electrification, i.e., the transition from fossil fuel-powered production to electricity from renewable sources. The difficulty, however, is that industrial entities have limited access to clean energy, and there is a lack of clear policy for the transformation of the national industrial base.

During the meeting on November 25, we discussed these challenges and other industry needs in the area of electrification with the participants. The roundtable enabled identification of key changes in the energy sector that can be implemented through national policy. Around 20 people were present at the event, including representatives of industrial companies and their associations, as well as representatives of new technology industry associations (PORT PC and PSEW), think tanks, and representatives of the European Commission and KOBiZE. 

Summary of the meeting in Polish version is available here, while the presentation here.