Poland may need large coal imports for winter despite higher domestic mining

Domestic output rises but remains below demand

Poland may have to import substantial volumes of heating coal before the coming winter even though domestic mining is increasing. Bogusław Ziętek, head of the Sierpień 80 trade union, told WNP that Polish coal production is growing for the first time in many years, but warned that the country could still face shortages.

The pressure is not limited to thermal coal used by power stations. Ziętek said supplies could also become tight for individual consumers, agriculture and municipal services. Customers seeking coal from Polska Grupa Górnicza, Poland’s largest mining company, already have to join a queue and wait, according to WNP.

Average annual Polish demand for lump coal, the grades commonly used for heating, has been about 6 million tonnes in recent years. Ziętek argued that this figure understates underlying heating needs because some households, particularly in south-eastern Poland, burn wood instead.

Polish mines cover less than half of lump-coal use

Domestic mines can produce only 2.5-3 million tonnes of lump coal per year, compared with the estimated 6 million tonnes of annual demand. That leaves a nominal gap of 3-3.5 million tonnes before accounting for inventories, alternative fuels or changes in consumption.

Polska Grupa Górnicza supplies the largest share of Polish lump-coal production, at 2-2.2 million tonnes annually. The figures indicate that even rising mining output cannot by itself meet the market served by household, agricultural and municipal buyers. Ziętek therefore expects Poland to require what he described as enormous imports of heating coal for the next winter, although WNP’s report did not specify an import forecast or potential suppliers.

Thermal coal for utility power generation presents a parallel risk. Ziętek said additional imports would also be required for professional power plants because a rapid abandonment of conventional generation was not feasible. The warning puts fuel availability alongside generation policy as an immediate concern for utilities and coal buyers.

Global competition and domestic price controls

Import procurement could take place in a firm international market. According to WNP, global coal demand is increasing as the United States supports the fuel and Asian countries, including India and China, continue expanding coal-based capacity. Repeated energy crises and conflicts that disrupt supply routes add uncertainty for import-dependent buyers.

Higher demand has not produced a corresponding increase in Polish coal prices, according to Ziętek. He attributed this to government intervention that limits price increases both in the household market and for coal delivered to utility power producers. For domestic mines, restrained selling prices may weaken the commercial benefit of higher demand. For consumers and power companies, however, the more immediate issue is whether sufficient physical supply can be secured before winter.