Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has ordered state companies to purchase 4.5 million tons of coal by November after admitting on a visit to the coal mining region of Silesia that the coal market was experiencing problems with accessing the fossil fuel.
According to reports, Morawiecki has asked his deputy prime minister, Jacek Sasin, and energy companies to urgently intervene and ensure adequate supplies.
The government already passed legislation to set a price cap on coal for domestic use at 1,000 Polish złoty (€208) per ton.
Poland’s head of government admitted that the country is facing a “chronic shortage of coal” despite the fact that Polish mines are increasing excavation. This is why the prime minister has now ordered the energy companies to intensify efforts to buy coal from abroad.
The 4.5 million ton target for coal purchase is ambitious but has been made necessary by the fact that Poland has enforced an embargo on Russian coal since April of this year. Morawiecki admitted that the ban has led to shortages of coal on the energy markets.
