Oil Fuels Discord: Poland and Germany Clash Over Massive Border Energy Discovery

A potentially transformative resource discovery has been made in Poland, approximately six kilometers from the Polish port city of Świnoujście, within view of the German holiday island of Usedom. This site, named the Wolin East oilfield, is estimated to contain around 22 million tonnes of crude oil and approximately five billion cubic meters of commercially recoverable natural gas. The discovery was made through exploratory drilling conducted by the Canadian company Central European Petroleum (CEP) in July of the previous year, at a depth exceeding 2,500 meters.

Rolf G. Skaar, CEP's chief executive, heralded the Wolin East discovery as a "historic moment" for both his company and for Poland's energy sector. In Poland, the find is viewed as a significant opportunity to enhance domestic energy supplies. According to Poland's chief geologist, Krzysztof Galos, who spoke in July 2025, regular production from the field could commence as early as 2028 or 2029. Over several years, this deposit has the potential to fulfill four to five percent of Poland's annual oil demand, thereby making a crucial contribution to lessening the country's reliance on energy imports and strengthening its overall security of supply.

Despite the economic promise, growing concern is emerging in Świnoujście regarding the potential impacts on tourism and the environment. Local authorities and residents are vehemently insisting on the preservation of the region's appeal and the protection of its natural environment.

The prospect of extracting fossil fuels from the Wolin East field is encountering particularly robust resistance from Germany. A powerful campaign alliance has been formed by the non-governmental organization BUND (German Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation) in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, alongside environmental group Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH), WWF, and the citizens' initiative Lebensraum Vorpommern. This alliance advocates for a comprehensive ban on all new oil and gas projects in the Baltic Sea. By the end of July this year, the organizers reported collecting approximately 88,000 signatures for their petition, which is slated for submission to the European Commission in Brussels in September.

These environmental organizations issue stern warnings about the potential for severe damage to the Baltic Sea's delicate ecosystem. Their concerns include increased underwater noise, the discharge of pollutants, and the significant risk of an oil spill within protected marine areas. Sascha Müller-Kraenner, DUH's federal managing director, has called for a united front involving the German federal government, the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and the European Union to safeguard the Bay of Pomerania and the broader Baltic Sea region. He emphasizes, "So far, the exploratory well has not led to an authorised production project, and that must remain the case."

Müller-Kraenner urges these entities to collectively issue a clear statement: "There must be no new oil and gas extraction directly off Usedom." He also calls upon political parties in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania to clearly articulate their stance and outline strategies for protecting the coast from a new fossil industrial project, especially with a state election mere weeks away. The outcome of this upcoming state election is poised to be a decisive factor in shaping the future trajectory of the conflict between Poland’s energy ambitions and German environmental organizations’ demands for heightened protection of the Baltic Sea.