Poland - Wind farms boom on windy Baltic Sea coast

Wind farms are booming on Poland's breezy Baltic Sea coast with electricity companies from Asia, Europe and the US keen to be among the first to invest in Poland's fledgling wind- energy sector. Two Japanese companies plan to invest 70 million euros (89.7 million dollars) in windpower generators on Poland's Baltic Sea coast with a capacity to supply the electricity needs of 50,000 homes, Poland's Dziennik daily reported Friday.

Japan's Mitsui and J. Power companies plan to build the farms near the Baltic Sea coast city of Koszalin in a joint venture with Poland's Windpol. With more than 4 billion euro in annual turnover, J.Power is a major energy player in Japan. In June, the US-owned Invenergy electricity firm opened a 80.5 million dollar wind power farm in Tymien, just west of the Baltic Sea coast city of Koszalin.

Denmark's Elsam firm has opened a 15-million wind farm on Poland's Baltic Sea Wolin Island. Eolica, a Polish-Danish-Dutch joint venture company intends to build a further two wind farms on the Baltic coast near Koszalin. The Poland Energy Partners power company has similar plans. The investment boom comes as Poland's Economy Ministry is preparing to issue new EU-recommended guidelines requiring electricity distributors to buy up more power generated using renewable sources.

With just four wind farms producing 107 megawatts of electrical power currently operating in Poland, the sector in the EU newcomer enjoys enormous growth potential. By comparison, wind farms in EU neighbour Germany have a total power capacity of 18,000 megawatts.