On Tuesday morning, according to PSE, a record high demand for power in the history of the National Power System was recorded: 27.7 GW net. On this day, before noon, there was record generation – 29.8 GW net, with simultaneous export of approximately 2 GW.
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PSE points out that such high demand was mainly due to the persistently low temperature, dropping below -20 degrees Celsius in some parts of Poland. – Very high demand was also recorded on Monday, February 2. The system continues to operate safely and the required power reserve is maintained, emphasizes the operator.
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The previous demand record was set on January 9 and amounted to 27.6 GW net. The previous highest level of generation occurred on January 14 and amounted to 28.9 GW net.
The president of Gaz-System, Sławomir Hinc, also informed journalists on Tuesday that according to preliminary data, a record amount of gas was transferred to Poland last Monday – nearly 115 million cubic meters, and – recorded by Gaz-System, which does not reflect the whole picture – gas demand reached a record 102.8 million cubic meters. As he said, for example, the Zielona Góra heat and power plant is powered directly by gas from mines, which Gaz-System does not take into account in its estimates.
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Record gas transmission in January and February 2026.
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Gaz-System
The capacity market in Poland saves the system
As PSE President Grzegorz Onichimowski tells Business Insider Polska, the Capacity Market Act adopted in 2018 during the PiS government provided additional income for dispatchable power plants, i.e. weather-independent power plants based on fossil fuels. However, he notes that in a large number of cases, the contracts of coal-fired power plants concluded under the existing mechanism expired in mid-2025 and it was not possible to extend them due to the tightening of emission limits.
— The previous government had no idea what to do next. Therefore, a loose concept of the National Energy Security Agency was created, to which the coal assets were to be transferred. However, no one defined the principles on which it was supposed to work and how it was to be financed, notes the president of PSE.
As a result, he adds, the assets that were to be transferred to NABE were underinvested because it was not known what the future held for them. – This is why in recent years, the so-called availability of these blocks has rapidly collapsed – he emphasizes.
The current government, which has been in force since the end of 2023, negotiated in Brussels the possibility of extending the capacity market for the oldest coal assets for another three years, i.e. until 2028. PSE conducted an auction and contracted the capacity needed to ensure safe operation of the system. Moreover, adds Onichimowski, the government rejected the NABE idea as an ineffective and expensive solution.
— These two facts caused that energy companies – and Tauron, PGE and Enea have the most coal assets – have really prepared for this winterbecause they have to guarantee that their power plants will deliver as much power as they contracted for, says the president of PSE.
He adds: – As the transmission system operator, we are currently in a quite comfortable situation because most units, even older ones, are available and there are very few unplanned downtimes and failures that plagued previous years. We gave coal a second life.
As a result, even in severe frosts and record demand, we have as much power as needed.
— This winter we do not have to resort to the so-called emergency importi.e. agreed by operators as support in difficult situations. Of course, there is import and export, but it is the result of market activity and trade exchange. Moreover, when the situation requires it, we are able to help Ukraine, which is in a very difficult energy situation – describes Grzegorz Onichimowski.
As he points out, the government, PSE and the energy companies that invested in these capacities cooperated in the implementation of this program.
— The current government is often accused of treating coal energy badly. Meanwhile, it will be needed for some time and the actions taken will enable it to function rationally – emphasizes the president of PSE.
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Coal-fired power plants and renewable energy sources are the basis
Onichimowski points out that today about 70 percent energy is produced by conventional sources based on fossil fuels, and 30 percent — renewable energy sources.
— It helps us that the frostiest days are also sunny – for example last Sunday, during some hours most of the power in the system came from photovoltaics – he adds.
Today we are safe, but the question is what next? — We are talking about extending the capacity market for a certain part of coal-fired power plants until 2030. In addition, new gas units will be launched – replies the president of PSE.
This year, as he points out, the Rybnik power plant with a capacity of almost 900 MW, the investor of which is PGE, will be launched. – A gas power plant will soon be launched in Ostrołęka (CCGT Ostrołęka-Orlen), in Gdańsk (Energa-Orlen) and Adamów (ZE PAK) – he mentions.
Planned gas power plants
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Press materials / Gaz System
— Still, there is a gap on the horizon between 2028 and 2030. So we are counting on unlocking wind energy, which the system desperately needs. This requires liberalization of the wind farm act, emphasizes the president of PSE.
He argues that in winter, wind farms have very high efficiency rates. — Due to the so-called 10H Act, much fewer of them were built than could be possible, and they are based on technologies from 10 years ago. Today's windmills have much better operating parameters, he explains.
Photovoltaics, as he points out, also has a big role to play. – But we already have a lot of it you need to think about these investments a little differently. Firstly, they should be linked to electricity or heat energy storage or collection directly at the installation. It is also worth having larger farms located along the east-west axis, and not north-south as currently, says Grzegorz Onichimowski.
As he explains, the difference is that the overall energy production from the panels will probably be lower, but it will be of greater value. — Panels aligned east-west operate for more hours per day. This is clearly visible in the photovoltaic production graph – in the case of a standard north-south installation, it has the shape of a sharp cone. With the east-west layout, it is flatter – describes the president of PSE.
Gas storage facilities in Poland are 2/3 full
According to Sławomir Hinc, the president of Gaz-System, the operator of the gas transmission system in Poland, at the beginning of the winter season, storage facilities in Poland were 100 percent full. Today, he says, we still have over 2 billion cubic meters of gas in storage, which means that they are approximately 2/3 full.
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Sławomir Hinc emphasizes that today Poland is safe in terms of access to gas.
Thanks to investments such as the terminal in Świnoujście or the Baltic Pipe, the country has become independent from the dictates of one supplier, which in the past was Russia. Poland is even becoming a gas hub, from where gas goes to, among others, Ukraine. Slovakia, he assured, can also count on supplies from Poland.
— Poland is becoming a transit country, our role is increasing. Hence our initiatives, such as the FSRU terminal, i.e. the floating LNG terminal in Gdańsk – emphasizes Sławomir Hinc. Another floating terminal is being prepared – FSRU II. We are currently investigating the market demand for supplies from this source.
According to the president of Gaz-System, today the Polish system can transmit 170 million cubic meters of blue fuel a day, and thanks to further investments, these possibilities will increase.
