Energo: Poland proposes to send Ukraine electricity from burning its vast coal reserves

Poland could help Ukraine cope with power shortages by exporting electricity generated from its coal-fired plants, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on July 8.

Tusk stated that this plan could assist Ukraine in surviving another wartime winter while reducing Poland's expenses on climate dues for burning coal. Under EU law, coal-fired power plants must pay for greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels, a measure designed to accelerate the transition to cleaner energy sources.

"Currently, we are working to burn Polish coal, which we currently have a lot of, and not pay for the emissions from this, and to send the electricity produced by Polish power plants from Polish coal for European money to Ukraine through the existing energy bridge," Tusk said at a press briefing with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Tusk acknowledged that this will not completely solve Ukraine's energy problem due to physical limitations on the amount of electricity that can be supplied. However, he noted, "at least it can partially help Ukraine to survive a difficult winter".