Back after the winter break!

Today, energy and technology commentary – i.e. how to interpret certain information through sports, film and literary analogies.

Poland’s new nuclear reactor – and at breakneck speed!

The plan is nothing short of sensational: the final design (and perhaps even the start of construction) of the new Polish HTGR-POLA nuclear reactor is to be completed in just three years. It will be a purely Polish technical concept and investment. The abbreviation indicates that it will be a high-temperature reactor, which means that it will be much more complex and technically sophisticated than the currently dominant PWR reactors. Moreover, it is supposed to solve the problem of district heating, which means that by around 2030, hot water from the tap could come from the reactor. However, first the financing has to be secured and the project developed. 

As a reminder, the FIFA World Cup will be held as early as 2026, this time in Canada, the USA and Mexico (provided Trump doesn’t end up in a fight with his neighbors). Poland will start the qualifiers in March, but considering the relatively low ranking of their rivals, qualifying seems almost certain. And if they do qualify, Poland will almost certainly become World Champions in 2026, and POLA (as we affectionately refer to the national team) will score in every game.

Probability? Similar to that of the reactor – but first, we still have to qualify.

The wind turbine law is once again being considered by the Council of Ministers and the legislature…

The Odyssey of modifying the law on onshore windmills continues, although readers seem to be a bit tired of the next episodes – the plot twists are quite predictable. This time, the new change means that the bill will not be “shelved” until the presidential election, but will go to the meeting of the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, and then (perhaps) to a vote.

As a reminder, in the Odyssey, Odysseus returns from Troy to his home of Ithaca over the course of ten years. Although he was already close to his goal, further complications threw him back out to sea, leading to the death of his entire crew. Along the way, he faced challenges such as the one-eyed cyclops and a seven-year stay with the nymph Calypso.

The windmill odyssey may be less dynamic, but we will see if it can match the literary original in terms of length.

Is Zelensky supposed to hand over 50% of Ukraine’s rare earth deposits?

According to unofficial information, a document (contract?) has appeared in which the US is said to have demanded the signature of the Ukrainian president. The rare earth deposits would be handed over to the Americans. The world has long resembled a movie – and in various genres: from gangster and war films, to absurd comedy, to thrillers that keep you awake at night. It is impossible not to associate this with the plot of one of the James Bond films – 007 Quantum of Solace. In this part, a new candidate for the Bolivian presidency, a general planning a coup d’état, receives a contract from a secret organization that supports him, guaranteeing it a monopoly on the country’s water supply (the same organization had previously caused a water crisis). The general signed. And Cheleński supposedly didn’t?

Does this mean that we will soon face another coup d’état?

Classic cars win… although mainly imported (or even scrap)

Compared to electric cars (75,000 fully electric registered, and twice as many hybrids), the classic drive is still going strong. More than half a million new vehicles and around a million imported used ones is a result that is hard to ignore. However, the victory of opponents of new technologies is somewhat bitter – experts estimate that most of the imported cars are either damaged or scrapped in Western Europe. In Poland, they undergo a car reincarnation, receiving… a second zombie life. 

It is impossible not to mention the cult series of Do-it-Yourself programs hosted by the unforgettable Adam Słodowy. Today, such programs no longer exist, but once upon a time, millions of children watched with bated breath as Mr. Adam built a bird feeder, a model of a space rocket or a home movie projector in 30 minutes. Sometimes he also drove his apprentices (including me) to despair – especially when he suddenly pulled a finished, flying model of a biplane with a working light out from under the table, while we had just hammered the first nail into the board crookedly. It is thanks to him that the whole nation by the Vistula has fallen in love with DIY. And today, Mr. Czesio from the workshop, having at his disposal two broken Mercedes and one Ford, will easily “knock together” a diesel Golf, a Subaru SUV and two motorcycles – and he will still have a spare gearbox for the hydrophore. Thank you, Mr. Adam.

5 million dollars or 5 billion zlotys – a large technological investment of a corporation

During the broadcast of the meeting between the giant technology corporation and the Polish government, everyone waited with bated breath for the key figures. Initially, it was announced that the investment would amount to $5 million over five years, but later on the news showed corrections – several billion zlotys, however. 

It is impossible not to recall the cult movie “Dude, Where’s My Car?” There, too, it all started with the problem of understanding which currency to pay for services in, and then the action picked up: shootings, close-ups, kidnappings, chases – but in the end everything ended well. Laska played an unforgettable role in the movie, answering the question: “What do you like to do in life?” with the immortal: “Smoke blunts”. Looking at the subsequent conferences of politicians with American representatives, one gets the impression that the only person who didn’t smoke anything was… the cameraman.

Biomethane is slowly… but surely picking up speed

Optimistic news from the energy transition market – the first facility to produce biomethane and generate energy has been launched. For the time being, it has 0.5 MW of power and produces 650,000 m³ of biomethane per year.

However, the optimism is dampened somewhat when these figures are compared to production in Germany, where 1 billion m³ of biomethane is produced annually (and there is no mistake in the zeros, as with some other investments). France, by the way, achieves similar results. Such cases are known to literature. In the collection of fables by the legendary Aesop, dating back to the 6th century, we find the parable of the Tortoise and the Hare, which has been read to children for generations. As we know, the tortoise outran the hare thanks to its persistence and regularity – and that is the moral we owe to the Greek fabulist. Unfortunately, I did not find the fable Snail and Hare in his collection.

Justyna at the Eurovision Song Contest once again…

The excellent Polish singer Justyna won the pre-qualifiers and will represent Poland at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Switzerland. This would not be particularly surprising if it were not for the fact that she has already sung for Poland on this stage once before – in 1995 in Dublin (that is, 30 years ago!). Back then, she took 18th place with a mystical song by Sam.

Now, we saw her new offering on the screens – “Gaja”, a song that apparently refers to ecology. However, it was difficult to understand the Polish-English lyrics because Justyna was either flying above the stage or dancing in a black latex outfit, surrounded by a group of dancers, among whom the men in leather skirts and studded vests attracted particular attention. Most experts appreciate the song, but do not expect it to be a success – they predict around 18th-19th place. But there is no need to worry about the experts. Even if it does not work out this time, you can remember the old Polish proverb “third time lucky”. We can already imagine Eurovision 2055 in Tirana – Polish flags waving on huge screens and Justyna on stage in (green) latex, once again flying over the audience in a spectacular performance of the mystical and ecological song “Polish Energy Transition”.