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.
Poland’s power plants produced 17.5 TWh in January 2026. This is almost 2 TWh more than in December and the highest in Poland’s history. Hard coal was the leading fuel, contributing over 7 TWh of electricity. This is the highest level since December 2022 and approximately twice the level during last year’s summer months (June-August). Hard coal’s share remains at around 40%, roughly the same as in the two previous months. This is due to the aforementioned record-breaking domestic production.
Lignite-fired and gas-fired units were next in line. The latter produced over 3 TWh of energy for the first time in history. Biomass power plants also achieved a record result, contributing 877 GWh.
Clean sources (primarily wind turbines, with a 14% share) accounted for 17% of the mix.
In January, coal-fired capacity decreased by 110 MW. Wind and photovoltaic sources added 162 MW and 503 MW, respectively. These are the largest monthly increases for both sources since 2024. Solar power plants have now surpassed the 25 GW barrier and now account for one-third of the total installed capacity in the power system. As for wind turbines, the January increase accounts for nearly 40% of the total net capacity added to the system last year.
More data is available on the chart Electricity production, source: ARE and Electricity generation capacity, source: ARE.
Hard coal in Poland - January 2026
Production and sales of hard coal​
COAL PRODUCTION – 3.40 Mt ↗
COAL SALES – 3.79 Mt ↘
Hard coal production increased slightly after a sharp decline in December. However, it remains 16% lower year-on-year. Sales, on the other hand, decreased by 8% month-on-month and 11% year-on-year. Never before at the beginning of a year (in January) have both figures been so low. Although domestic power plants and combined heat and power (CHP) units operated intensively, they relied heavily on their reserves.
Hard coal reserves
TOTAL – 10.35 Mt ↘
RESERVES AT MINING SITES (mining) – 4.19 Mt ↘
RESERVES AT MINING SITES, PURCHASED (by the power industry) – 0.37 Mt =
RESERVES AT POWER PLANTS (power industry) – 5.78 Mt ↘
Total hard coal reserves fell to their lowest level since April 2023. The power sector alone drew down nearly one million tonnes from its stockpiles, operating at high intensity to meet strong heating demand (CHP plants consumed 33% more coal than in January last year). Mines managed to reduce reserves by more than 420 thousand tonnes. A similar trend was observed a year earlier (at the turn of 2024/2025), when reserves declined in January and February, following increases in autumn.
Employment in hard coal mining
71 245 persons ↘
Employment in the coal sector fell by a further 166 FTEs. Data for another month thus confirms the ongoing downward trend in employment in Poland’s hard coal mining sector.
Hard coal price for electricity generation (PSCMI1)
PSCMI 1 – 321 PLN/t ↘ – 14.72 PLN/GJ ↘
Due to declining sales – despite high consumption – coal prices for the electricity sector were 4–5% lower than in December. The year-on-year decrease amounted to 11%, indicating a significant downward dynamic that does not bode well for the financial standing of the mining sector, although it is not as sharp as in the previous two years.
Hard coal price for heating (PSCMI 2)
PSCMI 2 – 398 PLN/t ↘ – 17.22 PLN/GJ ↘
The price of hard coal for the heating sector fell below PLN 400 per tonne for the first time since early 2022. This continues the broader downward trend in domestic hard coal prices observed since August 2023 (albeit not in every month).
Price of domestic vs imported hard coal
PSCMI 1 – 14.72 PLN/GJ ↘
Import (ARA) – 15.83 PLN/GJ ↘
Prices of coal imported via European ports have declined significantly since the beginning of the year (by approx. PLN 1.6/GJ), approaching domestic prices. Domestic prices have also decreased, strategically remaining below the competing imported fuel. The PSCMI 1 index has remained below the ARA coal price index since 2024.
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]
