Climate Changed
Even Europe’s Coal Addict Wants to Get Clean
At the birthplace of Poland’s uprising against communism, work is under way on another revolution.
Gdansk shipyard prepares to build tubes for offshore wind turbines.
Photographer: Piotr Malecki/BloombergAs the breeze comes in from the Baltic Sea in the Polish port of Gdansk, workers are preparing to turn sheets of hard, black steel normally used in ship sections into 500-ton tubes for offshore wind turbines.
Forever known as the birthplace of the Solidarity movement that helped topple communism in eastern Europe, the former Lenin Shipyard is aiming to be at the forefront of a revolution in Poland again. This time the goal is to reduce Russian influence on energy supplies and help the home of Europe’s biggest coal-fired power plant get greener after years of reluctance.