The audit showed that transmission grids in Poland are in a good condition due to systematic modernisation and maintenance works. They helped to extend the grids’ useful life from 40 to 70 years. At the end of 2012, the average age of transmission lines in Poland was below 40. It is shorter than e.g. in Switzerland (about 42 years) or in Germany (50 years). Nearly a half of Polish power transmission lines were over 40, whereas the majority (70 percent) exceeded 30 years of age.
The data obtained by the Polish Power Grid Company (PSE) and the Energy Regulatory Office shows that since 2015 a lot of power stations have planned to switch off their power generation units. It may cause breaks in energy supply, especially in extreme weather conditions or in case the energy demand goes up dramatically in the buildings located far from the power station. It should be stressed, though, that PSE has taken efforts for a long time already to minimise the risk of a rapid fall in energy supply. The company looks for back-up energy sources by concluding agreements with domestic and foreign power producers. It also makes investments in new technologies. For instance, it is implementing a system of intelligent grids equipped with measuring devices that will help balance the energy demand and introduce flexible rates.
Unplanned transmissions of energy, deriving mainly from wind, from Germany to Czech Republic and Slovakia have to be prevented because the grids need to be protected and also prepared to take additional energy from import. Such transmissions overload grids, in extreme cases posing a threat to safety. They also limit the cross-border power exchange capacity. Since 2012 Poland has worked on eliminating this threat in legal terms on the forum of the European Commission. PSE is also taking other efforts, e.g. changing the grid configuration, limiting their transmission capacity or changing the directions of power transmission from Germany - via Denmark and Sweden. These actions are extremely effective: since 2009 the system has worked under threat conditions a dozen or so times from a few to ca. 50 hours.
NIK has recommended the President of the Council of Ministers to speed up works on the draft act on transmission corridors, which will make it easier to acquire right to the land for infrastructure for the energy transmission and distribution. The Minister of Economy submitted a relevant draft to the Standing Committee of the Council of Ministers in July 2013. Delays in expansion and modernisation of the domestic transmission grid confirm the need for such provisions. Five in twenty investment projects audited by NIK were delayed. It turned out the main reason was problems connected with the acquisition of the right to the land and with the repurchase of the land for the infrastructure.
