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In 2022, the Central European nation overtook the US to become the world’s second-largest battery manufacturer, with an annual output of 73 gigawatt hours – more than double that of Germany. A lithium-ion battery cell factory operated by LG Chem in Wrocław is the largest built in Europe so far. (Both Poland and Germany are dwarfed by China, which boasted an output of 893 gigawatt hours.)
Underpinning all this industrial investment is massive growth in infrastructure. From 2011 to 2021, Poland built 429 miles of motorways, compared to 193 in Germany – albeit Poland is starting from a vastly smaller base.
“They’re building like it’s China,” remarks Michał Piekarski, head of Baker McKenzie’s energy and infrastructure practice in Warsaw.
Poland is expanding at a time when Germany is in decline. With the end of cheap Russian gas pushing electricity and gas prices higher, the German Industry Federation (BDI) has warned that its members are relocating or scaling back.
The most totemic example is German chemicals giant BASF, which is winding down plants in Germany and axing thousands of jobs – all while expanding in China.
Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, has acknowledged that the problems run deeper than just the gas price. He has vowed to reinvent his country as a renewable energy juggernaut, targeting 80pc green power by 2030.
However, experts say Berlin’s policies leave much to be desired – not least the stance on nuclear.
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