Rybnik power plant: Securing Poland’s transition to low emission power

As recently as 2023, around 60% of Poland’s generating capacity still came from coal. However, health and environmental targets, regulatory requirements and energy security considerations are accelerating the shift to new generation technologies. To replace coal, renewables and combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) technology are increasingly becoming the backbone of Poland’s power mix. 

Rybnik, in Poland’s Silesia region, stands in the center of the country’s historic coal mining heartland. The site has supplied electricity for decades. Now, the former coal plant is being replaced by a state-of-the-art Siemens Energy gas-fired power plant. 

The Rybnik CCGT power plant will provide 882 MW of reliable electricity, enough to supply  around two million Polish households. The plant features a Siemens Energy SGT5-9000HL gas turbine, combined with an SST5-5000ST steam turbine, achieving an efficiency of around 64%, far exceeding that of coal-fired power plants. 

By recovering waste heat from the gas turbine exhaust, the combined-cycle configuration significantly increases overall plant efficiency without additional fuel consumption.

Emissions performance is also significantly improved. A modern CCGT plant emits around 330g of CO₂ per kWh – approximately three times less than the emissions from coal-fired generation producing the same amount of electricity. Dust emissions are dramatically reduced,  contributing to improved air quality in surrounding region.

These performance gains make the Rybnik project an important step toward cleaner and more efficient power generation in Poland. They also show how modern gas-fired generation can support the transition away from coal while maintaining supply security and system flexibility.

Poland’s energy transition is already gathering pace. In 2025, coal’s share of electricity generation fell below 50% for five months of the year, and in June 2025 renewables generated more electricity than coal over a full month for the first time on record. At the same time, the country is investing in grid modernization and diversifying its energy mix. As the countries’s largest power producer, PGE is playing a central role in this transformation, with investments ranging from offshore wind projects such as Baltica 2 to flexible gas-fired generation.

PGE has stated its ambition to achieve net zero emissions across its power generation portfolio by 2050. Projects such as Rybnik demonstrate how existing sites can be transformed to support this goal, while maintaining regional industry, energy security and reliable power supply. 

Siemens Energy works with local Silesian engineers and technicians on the plant's installation, fostering knowledge transfer and retaining expertise amid Poland's energy transition. 

The Rybnik CCGT project reflects the broader transformation of Poland’s energy system: modernizing legacy infrastructure, significantly reducing emissions, and ensuring secure, reliable power for the future.