Initiative and implementation: National Forest Holding "State Forests"

Implementation period: 2021-2027

The "Forest of Energy" is one of the flagship development projects of State Forests aimed at the organization's energy transformation.

Its main objective is to mitigate climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. The project aims to increase the share of energy from renewable sources (RES) in the national energy mix, improve Poland's energy security, and achieve energy self-sufficiency for State Forests. The project's outcomes will significantly contribute to the core mission of State Forests, which is the sustainable management of forest ecosystems in Poland.

The project encompasses various complementary tasks and investments, including:

• Development of energy strategy for State Forests.
• Leasing of lands managed by State Forests for the construction and operation of RES facilities.
• Production of energy from RES, particularly in photovoltaic installations, wind turbines and installations utilizing green hydrogen, along with the construction of energy storage facilities and the modernization of transmission infrastructure on State Forest lands.
• Equipping State Forests with electric and alternative fuel-powered vehicles, as well as the construction of infrastructure for charging stations for both internal and public use.
• Increasing energy efficiency in State Forests through innovative energy management methods, including joint energy procurement for hundreds of State Forest units.
• Investment cooperation with domestic energy producers and energy clusters.

• Technological collaboration with universities in research and development: testing and implementation of innovations in energy efficiency and RES.
• Promotion and dissemination of knowledge about the benefits of energy produced from RES and efficient energy utilization technologies.

The planned capacity of photovoltaic installations is 300 MW, and wind turbines will have a capacity of 240 MW.

Since 2022, a significant part of the "Forest of Energy" project has been coordinated by the Coordination Centre for Environmental Projects. In the operational area, the Centre is responsible for tasks such as:

• Implementing systems for centralized management of electricity, gas, and liquid fuels in State Forests.
• Conducting integrated procurement of electricity, gas, and liquid fuels.
• Testing IT systems for monitoring and optimizing energy consumption (piloting phase).

In the coordination area, the Centre is involved in tasks including:

• Studying the needs of State Forest units related to project implementation.
• Collaborating with external entities in research and development (R&D).
• Analyzing opportunities for obtaining external funding for selected planned investments.
• Monitoring and reporting on project implementation.
• Providing training for State Forest units and promoting project outcomes.
• Managing project-related public procurement.

The electromobility-related part of the project is carried out by the Service-Production Department in Łódź – another unit within State Forests. Their tasks include:

• Purchasing new electric-powered vehicles.
• Modernizing State Forest vehicles towards eco-conversion.
• Building electric vehicle charging stations in forest districts and Regional Directorates of State Forests.
• Creating a central management system for charging stations.

The project aims to install 402 charging stations and increase the number of electric or alternative-powered vehicles to over 120 units. Some charging stations will be accessible to users outside of State Forests after the establishment and implementation of a stations management system.

All investments will be financed from State Forests' own funds. Additionally, external funds, including EU funds, are planned to be acquired, with the Centre responsible for this effort.

The "Forest of Energy" project is a continuation of the project titled "Renewable energy sources as the basis for electricity supply for buildings and means of transport of State Forests" implemented from 2017 to 2020.