In the second half of each month, we publish a set of key statistics on coal mining in Poland on our blog. The data is published with a 1.5-month delay, following announcements by the Energy Market Agency and the Industrial Development Agency, Katowice Branch.
To begin with, let’s take a look at how much electricity was produced from hard coal and other fuels over the course of the month. Supplying a substantial part of the demand is coal’s fundamental, though not the only role.
Domestic power plants generated 15.4 TWh in February 2026 (−2.2 TWh month-on-month). Electricity demand was noticeably lower than in January, when low temperatures drove record levels of generation. The main energy sources were hard coal (38% share), lignite and gas (around 18% each). Wind ranked only fourth, with a 12.5% share. Emission-intensive sources accounted for 81% of total generation, of which coal made up 56% – this share is decreasing each year, giving way to mainly gas. Among non-emitting sources, wind generation decreased (−0.5 TWh), while solar generation increased (+0.4 TWh).
Noticeable changes in installed capacity occurred only in wind farms (+108 MW) and PV installations (+322 MW).
Please note that data on electricity generation and installed capacity are often revised by ARE after one year. We are planning a round of updates to our charts and will keep you informed. The updates will also include the incorporation of battery energy storage data.
More data is available on the chart Electricity production, source: ARE and Electricity generation capacity, source: ARE.
Hard coal in Poland - February 2026
Production and sales of hard coal​
COAL PRODUCTION – 3.49 Mt ↗
COAL SALES – 3.78 Mt ↘
Coal production increased by 900 thousand tonnes, while sales were marginally lower. In February previous year, the production amounted to 3.57 million tonnes (80 thousand tonnes more than now) and the post winter season drop didn’t happen until April.
Hard coal reserves
TOTAL – 9.33 Mt ↘
RESERVES AT MINING SITES (mining) – 3.88 Mt ↘
RESERVES AT MINING SITES, PURCHASED (by the power industry) – 0.44 Mt ↗
RESERVES AT POWER PLANTS (power industry) – 5.02 Mt ↘
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Total coal reserves fell below 10 million tonnes for the first time since March 2023, when it amounted to 9.7 Mt. The biggest reduction happened in power plant storages (-768 kt), at mines it was -313 kt, while the amount of coal bought and awaiting shipment rose by 65 kt.
Employment in hard coal mining
70 737 persons ↘
A large decrease in employment took place – as many as 500 jobs were reduced. If this trend continues, the April statistics may already show crossing the 70 thousand FTEs threshold.
Hard coal price for electricity generation (PSCMI1)
PSCMI 1 – 310 PLN/t ↘ – 14.35 PLN/GJ ↘
The price index decreased by 11 PLN per tonne. The difference from February 2025 was -16%. The downward trend has remained largely uninterrupted since January 2023.
Hard coal price for heating (PSCMI 2)
PSCMI 2 – 398 PLN/t = – 17.23 PLN/GJ =
Heating hard coal prices barely changed between January and February and remained below 400 PLN/t – the lowest level since March 2022.
Price of domestic vs imported hard coal
PSCMI 1 – 14.35 PLN/GJ ↘
Import (ARA) – 15.95 PLN/GJ ↗
The so-called reference price, which is the price of transactions handled by ARA ports concerning coal import to Poland, was 15.95 PLN/GJ. It means a small increase from January. Domestic coal (PSCMI 1) remains cheaper thanks to state-funded financial transfers.
We compare the prices of energy coal (PSCMI 1) with imported energy coal in a unit that takes into account quality differences [PLN/GJ]. Coal for heating (PSCMI 2) is filtered out by default.
More data is available in the section ‘Coal prices and production costs (PL vs import)’
That is all in the current issue. We thank you for reading our Coal Brief and invite you to share it.
More information
If you are looking for more information about mining, check out our recently updated database: Coal mines in Poland. It contains, among others, a complete list of active deposits, annual statistics of mines and the current closure dates. We invite you to take a look at it!Â
Contact
Wojciech Przedlacki, Product Owner energy.instrat.pl, [email protected]
