Draft development plan for polish maritime areas
Areas reserved for wind farms, nuclear power plant, hydrocarbon extraction, maritime transport, military training grounds – these are the elements of the draft development plan for Polish maritime areas, published on Thursday.
The Ministry of Infrastructure forwarded the draft resolution of the Council of Ministers on the adoption of the spatial development plan for internal sea waters, territorial sea and the exclusive economic zone to the Legal Commission and published the content. The plan is needed e.g. to reserve areas for offshore wind farms, planned now and in the future.
As underlined in the explanatory memorandum, the plan is a result of the need to secure the maritime space for activities such as:
- development of the potential of the maritime economy based on a network of seaports;
- ensuring the development and safety of shipping;
- industrial and energetic use of the sea’s resources, such as offshore wind energy, maritime mining, cutter fisheries or nuclear energy, as well as sustainable and balanced development of coastal and marine tourism.
The decisions contained in the project include determination of the basic function of the given body of water, other functions allowed in it, information on public purpose investments, including their location, planned to be executed within the body of water, conditions concerning defence and state security or arrangements binding for voivodeship self-governments.
Among detailed solutions there is one water body reserved for the nuclear power plant and its cooling. The reservoir has two variants, corresponding to the two considered locations: Żarnowiec and Lubiatowo-Kopalino.
Seven areas have the primary function of obtaining renewable energy. Wind energy is allowed there. As underlined in the justification of the draft plan, the water areas most predestined for the generation of renewable energy were selected according to the gathered planning materials and those for which legally valid location permits were issued.
Structures for hydrocarbon exploration, prospecting and production are allowed in 17 water areas.
The primary function of five water areas is defence and national security – they are sea training grounds, which are closed zones for fishing and navigation.
Six designated basins have a primary function – environmental and nature protection. They include e.g. the sea areas of the Wolinski and Slowinski National Parks or the areas of the Odrzanska and Slupsk shoal.
