The government's transformation plan ignores the water crisis. "It's asking for disaster."

• Activists from environmental organizations commented on the provisions contained in the National Energy and Climate Plan.
• Adopted by the Ministry of Climate and Environment on Monday, July 28th, this is the most important government document outlining the future of Poland's energy transformation. It defines the pace at which the country will transition away from fossil fuels, develop low-emission energy sources, and cut emissions.
• Environmentalists believe that while it is ambitious in terms of climate goals, it completely ignores the issue of water availability necessary for energy and heat production.

"The silence on such a fundamental issue as the limitations resulting from the current and future availability of water for power plant cooling and the power plant's impact on its availability to other users in such an important document as the NECP demonstrates that water is not treated as a strategic resource in Poland. Government policies fail to take into account the fundamental changes in the hydrological cycle and the possibility of year-round access to water and its temperature in rivers," says Kuba Gogolewski of the Mission Possible Foundation.

The authors of the report "Gas and Coal-Fired Power Plants in the Water Crisis" highlighted the disconnect between energy policy and water policy and the need for their integration. Five of the 10 gas-fired power plants planned in Poland are to be built in areas with water shortages. These include the Dolna Odra, Adamów, Czechnica, Rybnik, and Skawina power plants.

The law should prohibit the location of thermal power plants in areas of water scarcity. We must remember that freshwater resources are limited, and competition for water will increase due to climate change. We can better protect water resources while simultaneously meeting the country's energy needs, but we must acknowledge a problem that successive governments have ignored. Thermal power plants must adapt to the size of water resources, not the other way around. Otherwise, we must expect a decline in electricity production during periods of drought, as well as higher electricity generation costs.

- says co-author of the report "Gas and coal-fired power plants in the water crisis", Robert Wawręty from the Society for the Earth.

The EKO-UNIA Environmental Association and the Mission Possible Foundation are drawing attention to the problem of water availability for the planned nuclear power plants in Bełchatów and Konin.

Let us add that the Ministry of Industry has only just announced that it will conduct analyses on this matter.

Planning nuclear power plants in areas already experiencing water shortages is asking for disaster—not only ecological but also economic. A power plant unable to operate due to a lack of water is a costly monument to poor planning. Energy policy must begin to recognize water as a crucial, limited resource. Water resources in Poland are among the lowest in Europe, and further burdening them with extremely water-intensive technologies is a road to nowhere.

- says Paweł Pomian, vice-president of the EKO-UNIA association.

Poland is among the EU economies classified as water-poor and relatively water-demanding. Our average water resources are approximately 60 billion cubic meters, and during periods of drought, this level can drop below 40 billion cubic meters. For comparison, France has the largest water resources in the EU at 206 billion cubic meters, Sweden at 196 billion cubic meters, and Germany at 188 billion cubic meters.

Poland is among the top countries using the largest amounts of water for energy purposes. According to the Central Statistical Office, 5.7 billion cubic meters of water (89% of total industrial water consumption) were used in 2022 for the generation and supply of electricity, gas, steam, and hot water . Rivers experiencing significant stress include the Oder, Upper Warta, Upper Vistula, and San.

In the case of the Upper Warta River, the WEI+ index, which measures pressure on water resources, is 40% year-round. Pressure on the river is caused by, among other things, open-pit mining operations. Flooding the Bełchatów mine's open-pit mine alone will require 3 billion cubic meters of water, which will drastically reduce water availability. It is precisely in this catchment area that gas-fired power plants in Adamów and Ostrów Wielkopolski, as well as nuclear power plants, are planned.

A country that regularly struggles with drought and suffers from low water resources needs a transparent and well-thought-out strategy for both water and energy policy. Polish energy companies must also begin to incorporate water issues into their strategies. Currently, the government is planning energy development as if we still have abundant water resources and local water shortages aren't a problem. Water temperatures are not expected to rise.

- summarizes Kuba Gogolewski from the Mission Possible Foundation.

According to experts from environmental organizations, the best and most sustainable sources of electricity for freshwater conservation are wind and solar, which are less susceptible to the effects of climate change and do not cause damage to the aquatic environment. They believe that urgent integration of water and energy policies is necessary.