On 22-24 April 2025, Katowice once again became the host of one of the most important events in Europe - the 17th European Economic Congress. This year's edition, organised by the PTWP Group - the organiser of the European Economic Congress, was traditionally held at the International Congress Centre and the Spodek Arena.

More than 15,000 participants - including representatives of the Polish Government, the European Parliament, the European Commission, business, science, international organisations and the media from across Europe - took part in three days of debates, meetings and panels. The European Economic Congress 2025 was also an opportunity to discuss the Polish Presidency of the EU Council, which began at the beginning of the year.

Congress as a platform for international dialogue

The inauguration was attended by inter alia.: Minister of Industry Marzena Czarnecka, Minister of State Assets Jakub Jaworowski, Deputy Minister of Climate Milosz Motyka, former Prime Minister and Member of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek, as well as German Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck and representatives of the governments of Denmark and the United Kingdom.

The event was also attended by Government Plenipotentiary for Strategic Energy Infrastructure Wojciech Wrochna, Public Advisor to the Minister of Defence Mieczysław Bieniek, former Deputy NATO Strategic Commander, as well as representatives of the United Arab Emirates administration in charge of economic development in Abu Dhabi.

Already during the opening session, the need to strengthen energy security and raw material sovereignty was emphasised. Participants unanimously stressed that the energy transition must be fair and its pace coordinated and predictable.

Mutual cooperation, the building of resilient supply chains and the exchange of experience between EU Member States were repeatedly cited as key conditions for success.

Energy as a foundation for security and transformation

Atom - a stable basis for the energy mix

A lot of attention was paid to nuclear power, which, according to the Ministry of Industry's new approach, is to be the backbone of Poland's energy mix after 2035. The Industry Minister announced that the first large reactor under the project being carried out by PEJ and Westinghouse is expected to start operating as early as 2028, with electricity production planned for 2036.

In addition to the large units, the construction of small modular reactors (SMRs) is envisaged, which will be built in locations such as Belchatow - once the coal heartland of Poland.

The President of the Management Board of the Polish Atomic Energy Agency (PAA), Andrzej Głowacki, indicated that the biggest challenge is the lack of suitably qualified staff and the need to simplify formal procedures.

Representatives of companies such as Orlen Synthos Green Energy (OSGE) and Unimot, which are actively involved in nuclear SMR projects, also took part in the discussion. During the debates, they outlined the progress of the work on implementing the technology and the companies' further plans.

Renewable energy sources - offshore, PV and hydrogen

In addition to nuclear, the further development of renewable energy sources is crucial. Particular attention was focused on offshore wind energy. Janusz Bil of Orlen Neptun pointed out that this is the only technology that can replace phased-out coal capacity within a decade horizon.

Krzysztof Telega from the Industrial Development Agency pointed out that the cost of renewable energy projects will increase from 2021 - driven by inflation and component costs. However, despite these challenges, the development of offshore, PV and hydrogen power is inevitable.

These strategies are part of the green transformation of the economy, which is also a priority for the European Commission and EU Member States. Miłosz Motyka, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Climate and Environment, announced a doubling of the installed capacity of RES to 56.5 GW by 2030, with the share of renewables to exceed 33% in the energy mix.

The White Paper, the NERC strategy and the future of mining regions

On the first day of the European Economic Congress, a conference was held by the Ministry of Industry as part of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Its aim was to create a space for an international discussion on the challenges of the energy transition and the future of coal regions in Poland and Europe.

An important part of this conference was the presentation of a new strategic document, the 'White Book of Transformation', prepared by the Ministry of Industry. The document envisages support for post-mining areas, reforms of the concession system, as well as new rules for supporting investors in regions such as Silesia and Zagłębie.

Deputy Climate Minister Milosz Motyka announced an update of the National Energy and Climate Plan (NERP), which will be published in Q2 2025. The plan will provide for inter alia. phasing out coal-fired units, supporting bridging technologies and long-term funding from EU and national funds.

The Polish energy system - flexibility, security and investment

PGE CEO Dariusz Marzec noted that 'flexibility is the new currency of transformation' - in the context of the need to adapt the system to variable energy supplies from RES. He mentioned PGE's investments in balancing capacity, energy storage and gas projects.

Grzegorz Onichimowski of PSE spoke about the need to modernise the transmission and digital infrastructure. It is particularly important to secure the system against cyber attacks and to increase resistance to extreme weather events. The creation of a common energy transmission system in the European Union was one of the main demands of the congress.

In turn, Ireneusz Fąfara - Orlen's CEO - presented the company's strategy assuming PLN 380 billion of investments by 2035, a large part of which will be offshore projects, hydrogen and new technologies related to climate neutrality.

Regional policy, finance and technology

In the context of regional policy, the future of the Silesian Voivodeship and other coal-dependent regions was debated. The Silesian Voivode, representatives of the University of Economics, PKO Bank Polski, ING Bank Śląski and financing experts emphasised the need to develop dedicated support tools for local businesses and local governments.

The Minister of Digitalisation and representatives of startups also presented specific technologies to support green transformation -. inter alia. smart grid, IoT and process automation solutions for the energy industry.

International dimension and political-military security

Energy is not the only topic at the European Economic Congress. Political-military security and geopolitical developments also featured on the agenda in the context of, among other things, the war in Ukraine and EU-Russia relations. The participation of security experts such as the former NATO Deputy Strategic Commander, representatives from the UK and the US underlined the importance of Europe's energy security as an element of stability.

As pointed out by the President of Tauron Polska Energia, Grzegorz Lot, the transformation of the energy sector is also an opportunity to strengthen Poland's position in the European Union, while maintaining the competitiveness of the economy.

A congress that defines the future

The European Economic Congress 2025 confirmed that Poland has great potential to become a leader in green transformation and energy infrastructure development. During the congress, especially during the plenary sessions and backstage meetings, key topics such as investment in new technologies, the role of banks and funds in the energy transition, and the importance of climate policy in the context of European and global ambitions were discussed. Experts and leaders from various sectors pointed out that the future of Poland, and of Europe as a whole, will be based on combining the green transition with ensuring energy security and the development of modern technologies.

Another important topic was the role of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council, which provides a unique opportunity to shape energy policy at the level of the entire European Union. European solidarity and cooperation with international partners were key in debates on the future of the energy sector and climate policy.

The European Economic Congress also discussed specific plans to increase investment in renewable energy sources, with an emphasis on offshore wind energy, and the development of hydrogen technology projects.

Particularly noteworthy was the presentation of the updated National Energy and Climate Plan, which envisages the shutdown of 30% coal-fired units by 2030 and an increase in the capacity of renewable energy sources. This strategy, it was emphasised, will be crucial for the further transformation of the energy sector in Poland and the European Union as a whole, with a balance between environmental goals and the needs of economic development.

We were also present at this important event as Good One PR, actively participating in the exchange of experiences, listening to the voices of experts and leaders of change, and providing communication support for processes that shape the future of the Polish economy and energy sector. Our presence at the Congress was an excellent opportunity to analyse key trends in the energy transition and to identify the challenges facing Poland and Europe in the context of striving for climate neutrality and building resilient energy systems.