Polityka Energetyczna - Energy Policy Journal

Russia’s use of one of its energy resources as a tool of political pressure in 2021 destabilized the economies of many European countries. The energy crisis was exacerbated by the outbreak of Russia’s war with Ukraine in February 2022, when many countries, including those of the EU, responded by imposing sanctions on energy resources from Russia. The situation also affected Polish households. Until then, Russia had been Poland’s main supplier of coal and natural gas. It is estimated that 3.8 million households were threatened by the uncertainty of hard-coal supplies for the 2022/2023 heating season. The article presents an analysis of the supply and demand of the main fossil energy resources consumed by Polish households for heating purposes. Discussing the supply of a given raw material, both domestic production and imports are presented. The inability to increase domestic coal production for households in the short term (it is a long-term process) resulted in the introduction of intervention imports. In the case of imports, attention was paid to the need to change suppliers as well as import routes. The article also analyzes the prices of major energy carriers for domestic households from January 2018 to March 2023. Rapidly rising prices of hard coal at fuel depots in the third and fourth quarters of 2022 were higher than natural gas prices for households by PLN 13–16/GJ and amounted to PLN 81–101/GJ. By comparison, natural gas prices were then in the range of 65–88 PLN/GJ. In the first quarter of 2023, the prices of these two energy carriers had already reached a similar level (in the order of 80 PLN/GJ).

The impact of harmonic distortions on power grids is a major issue in contemporary power networks as a result of the extensive application of non-linear loads. The purpose of this article is to explore the problem of harmonic distortion in power grids and its impact on the elements of the power grid, such as cable lines and transformers. The Schaffner PQS software product was used in this study to model power grids. New techniques for modeling power grids and finding technical solutions that meet the IEEE 519-2014 standard were introduced. The study finds that harmonic distortion can lead to an additional heat load being placed on cable lines and reduces the power available to transformers, which can decrease their rated power. The application of modern software reduces the time and complexity of calculations, and the availability of software solutions for limiting harmonic distortion simplifies the creation of solutions that meet this standard. Using the methods presented in the study, engineering solutions can be improved, the reliability of electrical systems can be increased, and the loss of electrical energy can be reduced. This can enhance efficiency for design engineers and technical specialists involved in the operation of power grids.

The Polish political transformation of 1989 brought significant changes not only on the political and social levels but also on the economic level. The Polish economy, which until then had been a centrally planned economy, had to be rapidly changed into a free market economy. As a result of this, a lot of areas of the economy had to be transformed including the mining industry, especially hard-coal mining. In 1990, there were seventy-one mines in operation in Poland, employing nearly 400,000 people. The process of decommissioning these mines, which continues to this day, began in 1994. Walbrzych coal mines were among the first to be liquidated. Poland has long been dependent on coal for energy production, but the country is facing increasing pressure in the transition to cleaner and more sustainable energy sources in order to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change in order to fulfil EU climate policy assumptions. Civil society organizations in Poland were associated with the political transformation, as the changes in the system has opened the doors for the social participation in decision-making processes. Civil society organizations in Poland have been actively pushing for policies and initiatives that promote renewable energy, energy efficiency, and the phasing out of coal. However, it should be underlined that the role of civil society in energy transformation is crucial as on the one hand, it should be an advocate of change, but on the other hand, civil society has to take an active part in the discussion on the challenges of the transformation, such a change in the employment structure which is an inevitable consequence of the energy transition. The scope of the paper is to provide a set of tools for the civil society participating in energy transformation processes.

This work focuses on the fact that the realities of today’s Ukrainian economy require not only recovery but also an increase in the volume of production of products produced by energy-intensive enterprises in the industry to the pre-crisis level, which stimulated the following: an increase in the demand for fuel and energy resources (FER); the increase in the cost of imported natural gas and oil, which became an excessive burden for domestic economic entities and the state budget and led to increased dependence on the geopolitical influence of the Russian Federation; the weakening of Ukraine’s position on the global energy market as a transporter of energy resources; increased competition in the global, national and regional markets of FER under the influence of the growth of general demand, etc. It was confirmed through analysis that the priority of the state policy in the field of the energy security of Ukraine will continue to be the stimulation of the implementation of energy-saving measures and the improvement of the efficiency of the use of FER by attracting all possible incentives at all levels of management. A visualized model is proposed which will make it possible to systematically manage the processes of the effective use of FES; an action algorithm has been developed that will allow solving problems that arise in changing external and internal environments, simplifying the decision-making procedure regarding the effectiveness of the use of FER, and reducing their specific costs. The assessment and forecasting of the energy efficiency of Ukraine’s economy was conducted using additive and multiplicative convolutions, which made it possible to forecast the energy efficiency index until 2035 in accordance with the adopted energy strategy of the state. It was determined that the strategic directions of increasing energy efficiency and realizing the energy potential of Ukraine remain the technological and structural restructuring of the economy, social infrastructure, and the creation of the economic, managerial and legal mechanisms necessary for the implementation of the state energy efficiency policy.

In the era of the fight against global warming and in light of the search for energy with the least possible impact on the environment, interest in hydrogen has become a natural direction of development. Striving for a zero-emission Europe by 2050, the EU promotes low-emission and ultimately emission-free hydrogen for the widest possible use in the economy. Poland has developed a strategic document specifying the necessary activities for the use of hydrogen in the economy, which should at the same time maintain its competitiveness. Poland is currently the third producer of hydrogen in the European Union, which enables strategic thinking about maintaining Poland as a leading player on the hydrogen market in the long term. Currently, hydrogen in Poland is produced by (usually large) state-owned enterprises for their own needs with only a small margin of its resale. This is conventional hydrogen that is mainly obtained from natural gas. Therefore, it is difficult to talk about the hydrogen market, which must develop so that this raw material can be widely used in many branches of the modern economy. However, this requires taking a number of legislative, research and development and investment activities, as well as directing the national energy transformation to renewable energy sources, which may ultimately reduce the costs of pure hydrogen production. A number of actions have been taken, but the delay in legislative actions is slowing down the creation of the hydrogen market and is limiting the interest of private businesses in engaging in transformation activities.

The paper aims to consider the available policies for biomass output as a feedstock for further bioenergy production in post-war Ukraine in order to draw conclusions and learn lessons for the further deployment of bioenergy in Ukraine, and to define the number of jobs that bioenergy has enabled and could contribute in both Poland and Ukraine in the future. Poland has significant biomass potential, the lion’s share of which is agricultural crop waste, corn, and dedicated energy crops. Ukraine has a significant potential for the production and use of biogas and biomethane due to available feedstock and a developed gas supply system. The employment factor method was used to estimate the number of jobs in bioenergy in Poland and Ukraine. Assessments, which are the main result of the work, indicate that the number of jobs in agriculture for feedstock production for energy purposes may reach thirty-three thousand by 2030 in Poland and thirteen thousand in Ukraine. Agribiomass crop production for energy purposes in Poland is supported by the Common Agriculture Policy of the EU. Energy producers from biomass have priority access to the grid and qualify for feed-in tariffs, premiums and auctions, and special financial programs. In Ukraine, biomass energy producers may have a feed-in tariff for biomass and biogas and a 10% lower tariff for heat from biomass than the tariff for heat from natural gas. Despite the benefits of biomass, the installed capacities for its utilization remain insufficient due to the existing barriers in both countries.
In the future, Ukraine will need to develop its agricultural biomass sector more actively than before in order to substitute natural gas and other energy carriers.

The energy sector, particularly that related to renewable energy, is growing rapidly. The analysis of factors influencing the production of electricity from solar radiation is important in terms of the ever-increasing number of photovoltaic (PV) installations. In Poland, the vast majority of installed PV capacity belongs to prosumers, so a comparative analysis was conducted for two domestic installations, one in southern Poland and the other located in central Poland. Operating conditions were compared, specifically with regard to irradiance, outdoor temperature and the calculated temperature of photovoltaic cells. The specific yield was then compared in daily, monthly and annual statements. The effects of the previously mentioned parameters on the energy yields of the two installations were considered. The installation in southern Poland in 2022 produced 5,136.6 kWh, which corresponds to a specific yield of 1,019.17 kWh/kWp, while the energy production of the installation in central Poland was 4,248.9 kWh, which corresponds to a specific yield of 965.67 kWh/kWp.

The purpose of this study is to consider a passive balancing system for battery storage which in the future will increase their reliability, reduce maintenance costs, reduce wear and tear and increase service life, as well as to study a new method of quasi-opposition search for harmony in order to stabilize the supplied electricity. To this end, various theoretical methods of scientific study (analysis, concretization, comparison, generalization) were applied. The method considered in this article for improving the performance of batteries using a passive balancing system, using the example of a typical structural diagram of an autonomous hybrid power plant presented here, would increase the efficiency of pre-project work on the development of highly efficient design and circuit solutions and increase the battery life. The new method of quasi-opposition searches for harmony for hybrid power plants based on renewable and traditional energy sources, taking into account features of their design and operation, would make it possible to stabilize the load frequency of the consumer at the time of switching the station between power sources. This study can be useful for the circle of people associated with energy, for students studying renewable energy in higher education institutions, as well as their teachers, in order to familiarize themselves with the problems of hybrid stations and find options for their solutions.

The article examines the environmental performance of a diesel generator that runs on a biofuel mixture. Biofuels are considered to be more environmentally friendly than traditional petroleum products and have become popular alternatives in the field of electricity production. To reduce dependence on petroleum fuels and decrease harmful exhaust-gas emissions from diesel generators, it is suggested to use biodiesel fuel and its mixture with diesel fuel. Various environmental indicators were measured and analyzed in this study, including the emissions of harmful substances, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulates. By using biofuels, pollutant emissions are expected to be reduced because biofuels are made from renewable sources such as vegetable oils or biomass. The results of the study show that the use of a biofuel mixture in a diesel generator leads to a significant reduction in the emission of harmful substances compared to the use of traditional petroleum products. A reduction in the emissions of carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides was found, which contributes to a reduction of the impact on climate change and air pollution. In addition, a decrease in particle emissions was noted, which contributes to the improvement of air quality and people’s health. The goal was achieved by researching the impact of a mixture of diesel and biodiesel fuel on the technical, economic and environmental indicators of an autonomous diesel generator. The regulation of the composition of the fuel mixture ensured the preservation of the power of the generator in all its modes of operation, while reducing the cost of purchasing fuel by 10% and reducing the smokiness of exhaust gas by up to 57%, depending on the mode of operation of the diesel engine.

This article presents the results of an assessment of the potential for the use of CNG in Poland as a fuel for passenger cars powered by an internal combustion engine fuelled by petrol or diesel. The basis for assessing the potential was an analysis of the economic efficiency of converting a passenger car fuelled by petrol or diesel to a dual-fuel vehicle by installing a CNG system. On the basis of available literature data, the vehicle structure was characterised using the following criteria: vehicle age, engine capacity, car-segment, type of fuel used and kerb weight. The average fuel consumption (petrol or diesel) of the vehicle before conversion was determined on the basis of specially developed statistical models. The conversion and operating costs of a vehicle fuelled with conventional fuel and with CNG (after vehicle conversion) were estimated on the basis of a stochastic simulation model using probability density distributions of vehicle parameters and the Monte Carlo method. The vehicle parameters were estimated so that the obtained set of vehicles reflected the actual structure of passenger cars in Poland. The estimated costs of vehicle conversion (purchase and installation of a CNG system) and its subsequent operating costs made it possible to assess the economic efficiency of the car conversion process. The potential use of CNG as a fuel for combustion cars was estimated by comparing the operating costs of a vehicle before conversion and the operating costs of a vehicle after conversion, taking into account the costs of conversion. Analogous calculations were carried out for the conversion of a vehicle to run on LPG, i.e. the most important competitor to CNG.