Lake Ostrowo, Poland
Investment in a cleaner future
The 17 wind turbines near Lake Ostrowo in Northern Poland are not only driven by the wind but by the investment tools of the Kyoto Protocol.
At Lake Ostrowo in Northern Poland, old Viking soil meets high tech energy. Close to the historic city of Wolin, 17 wind turbines produce electricity for 35,000 Polish households.
The wind farm is now visited by tourists, energy companies and developers, its success providing inspiration for more wind power in Poland.
Poland is currently 95 % powered by coal, which produces carbon dioxide, and is looking for sustainable alternatives. Wind power is one of the favourites. Lake Ostrowo is among the largest wind farms in Poland, proving that wind power works.
The Lake Ostrowo wind farm was set up as a Joint Implementation (JI) project, one of the flexible mechanisms of the Kyoto Protocol. JI projects generate emission reduction units (ERU) in transition economies, including former soviet states and Eastern European countries, that can be used by industrialised countries to help them meet their own Kyoto target.
The Joint Implementation initiative is supported by the Danish government through the allocation of more than 336,000 ERUs (Emissions Reduction Units) over the period 2008-2012, making it more attractive for the Danish owner, DONG Energy, to develop and run the wind farm.
Learn more about wind power in Poland
- Lake Ostrowo wind farm shows how the Kyoto Protocol encourages investment in new markets for clean energy – and reduces greenhouse gas emissions »
- The Lake Ostrowo wind farm employed 100 Polish workers during its construction »
- The Lake Ostrowo wind farm works in harmony with a rich bird life and saves 80,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) each year »
- Photo Gallery »
FACTS: LAKE OSTROWO WIND FARM
Size: The Lake Ostrowo comprises 17 turbines, each with a capacity of 1.8 Megawatts (MW), manufactured by Danish company Vestas
Total capacity: 30.6 MW
Electricity production: 90 million kilowatt hours (kWh), equivalent to supplying 35,000 Polish households
Climate: The wind farm saves Poland 80,000 tonnes of CO2 each year, as well as avoiding 240 tonnes of nitrogen oxide and 100 tonnes of dust
Opening: The wind farm was opened in September 2007
Who did Lake Ostrowo wind farm?
Global Wind Energy Council, Rue d'Arlon 63-65, 1040 Brussels, Belgium, Tel: +32 2 400 1029, Fax: +32 2 546 1944, Email: info@gwec.net