Eastern European coal-to-gas switching enthusiasm builds
Poland and the Czech Republic, long the continent’s coal champions, are having a rethink
Coal-fired power makes sense for Poland and the Czech Republic. As a domestic resource, it contributes positively to energy security, balance of payments, taxable revenue and employment. In contrast, largely imported gas offers none of these benefits and, in the past, has meant almost total reliance on Russia—Eastern Europe’s historically meddlesome neighbour. But the world is changing, and the environmental benefits of gas—as well as infrastructure developments to mitigate some of the dependence on Russian pipelines—are seeing even coal’s champions begin to embrace a ‘dash for gas’. Poland’s gas consumption has already grown from c.15bn m³/yr to 20bn m³/yr over the last ten years, according
Also in this section
10 March 2026
Eni’s director for global gas and LNG portfolio, Cristian Signoretto, discusses how demand will respond to rising LNG supply, and how the company is expanding its own gas and LNG operations through disciplined, capital-efficient investments
9 March 2026
Petroleum Economist analysis sees increases in output from Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Kazakhstan among others before region’s murky descent
9 March 2026
Energy sanctions are becoming an increasingly prominent tool of US foreign policy, with the country’s growth in oil and gas production allowing it to impose pressure on rivals without jeopardising its own energy security or that of its allies, argues Matthew McManus, a visiting fellow at the National Center for Energy Analytics
6 March 2026
The March 2026 issue of Petroleum Economist is out now!
