7 October 2022
Interview with Michał Kaczerowski, CEO of Ambiens
This month, we sat down with Michał Kaczerowski, CEO of Polish consulting firm Ambiens, to talk about their activities in the Baltic, the importance of simplifying permitting, and changes in the industry over the years.
Can you tell our readers a little about your organisation?
Ambiens is a family-owned Polish consulting firm, which I am the founder of, and I am always happy to talk about the success of the Team, because there are amazing people standing behind the value of our brand. We strongly believe in the sense of our work for wind energy, which we have been supporting consistently for more than 14 years.
Strategic consulting, permitting, and environmental considerations are key areas of our work. In line with Ambiens’ mission, we are responsible for finding common ground among key stakeholders in wind projects. However, I believe that the ultimate beneficiary of our activity are future generations who are the heirs of sustainable development.
Our onshore portfolio includes more than 100 wind farms at various stages of the project life cycle, including the largest ones in Poland. We have also been successfully operating offshore wind energy in the Baltic Sea for nearly 5 years, where we have had the pleasure of working for Polish state-owned companies and some of the biggest global brands.
What are the most exciting developments you have seen in the wind industry?
Despite years of experience and a long presence in the wind industry, it still fascinates and positively surprises me.
What impresses me most perhaps is the development of technology. The increase in efficiency and the decrease in costs are amazing. This translates into grid parity, which is a real game changer. It is gratifying to see the global development of offshore wind and the popularisation of floating technology.
I am also happy to see how the awareness in wind energy is changing. This translates into both the responsibility of developers and the quality of projects, as well as the attitude of local communities. I remember how, at the beginning of Ambiens’ history, the scope of our activities was treated as a necessary evil. Today, environmental impact assessments are a key milestone of wind project permitting, which directly affects CAPEX, OPEX and LCOE. ESG standards are set not only by administrative requirement, but also by best practices and expectations of financial institutions and shareholders.
What changes would you like to see in the wind industry?
I strongly believe that in the times of climate crisis and geopolitical challenges, we need to speed up permitting and do our best to increase the supply of new projects. Both greenfield and repowering investments can be processed faster. This is where the industry’s experience can translate into regulatory improvements and dedicated tools and solutions.
The above-mentioned aspects require transparent and adequate communication not only with local communities but also with the general population of our EU community. Today we know that well-located and properly managed wind farms are environmentally friendly and acceptable to the neighbours around. This information, backed by appropriate, honest arguments, must reach a wide audience. At the end of the day, the voter will be the greatest promoter of wind energy and will help drive the actions of policymakers.
Among other things, this is one of the areas we want to support in our role at WindEurope.
Going forward, what role do you see your organisation playing in the future development of wind energy?
This is exactly what we are going to offer the European wind energy community. Participation in evaluating best development practices, optimising permitting and supporting communications were our original ambitions and motivations in joining WindEurope.
At the same time, we want to actively support large, demanding projects, both on land and at sea across Europe.
How has WindEurope membership benefited your organisation?
WindEurope membership streamlines our ability to stay abreast of key information and regulations. In our everyday work we always strive for best practices and improvement, so WindEurope is a great platform for that. It is an amazing place to network and connect with industry practitioners, which I value so much. Collaboration between countries and specialists in different markets brings a number of benefits. I am glad that our Team is part of this community.
If we look ten years ahead, what do you hope to have achieved?
As a top consultant firm in Poland today, we are going to strengthen our brand awareness in Europe in the next few years. In 10 years’ time, I hope to see operating offshore wind farms across the Baltic Sea, where my Team was comprehensively responsible for the environmental impact assessment and together with Partners, we got the fastest construction permit in the Baltic.
Find out more about Ambiens
