German energy giant RWE said Monday it would invest 500 million euros (652 million dollars) in a series of wind farms in Poland, boosting its involvement in the country's power market.
RWE's renewable energy chief, Kevin McCullough, told reporters the group wanted to play a major role in Poland's drive to ensure that 15 percent of its power came from clean sources by 2020.
RWE is already building two wind farms at Tychowo and Suwalki in northern Poland, at a cost of 100 million euros.
The Suwalki plant, which is already partially in operation, has 18 turbines, while its counterpart at Tychowo, which is meant to be online by 2010, will have 15.
They will have a combined power-generation capacity of around 80 megawatts, McCullough said.
RWE also owns Poland's Stoen power distribution group.
Poland currently relies on coal-fired plants for 94 percent of its electricity but has committed itself to easing its dependence on coal as part of the European Union's climate package which limits greenhouse gas emissions.
It also plans to try to clean up its coal-fired power sector.
Last year, RWE said it would build a new generation, lower-emission coal power plant with a capacity of 800 megawatts in southern Poland, scheduled to come online in 2015.
Warsaw is also considering turning to nuclear power, aiming to have one or two plants in place by 2020.
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