First geothermal heating projects in Poland receiving funding under new government scheme
City center of Torún, Poland (source: flickr/ tomstravelscom, creative commons)
Alexander Richter
9 Nov 2017
First geothermal heating projects in Poland receive funding under new $140 million Geothermal Development Fund of the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management.
This week, the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management in Poland signed contracts for approx. PLN 30 million ($8.4 million) with two geothermal projects in Podhale and Torún. In Torun, a heating plant will be built for this money, which may start operating in 2018.
Agreements were signed at the office of the Ministry of the Environment. The event was attended by Minister of the Environment Jan Szyszko, President of NFO?iGW Kazimierz Kujda and representatives of beneficiaries, including Father Tadeusz Rydzyk.
At the beginning of September, NFO?iGW announced that Geothermia Toru? for the construction of the heat plant will receive PLN 19.5 million ($5.5 million), and Geothermal Podhalanski in Zakopane – PLN 9.1 million ($2.5 million) to expand, increase the power of the geothermal system.
Both investments will be financed from the EU funds.
The head of the Ministry of the Environment stressed at a press conference that the implementation of geothermal projects is part of a global climate agreement. Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. And she says – as he pointed out – to be as effective as possible and as quickly as possible to strive for the neutrality of climate, that is, balancing CO 2 emissions with its absorption.
“At a depth of 2,000-3,000 meters we have hot temperatures sufficient for heating projects, just use it and use it,” he pointed out.
Szyszko said that using geothermal energy we can help replace the traditional fossil fuels and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“Geothermal resources are an important part of renewable energy, because its resources are huge and such projects are financed by domestic and EU funds,” added Kazimierz Kujda, president of NFO?iGW. He recalled that the Fund had already signed five contracts for exploration of geothermal waters in several municipalities in Poland. Geothermal waterholes are to be built in Sochaczew, Sieradz, L?dek Zdrój, Szaflary and Ko?o municipality. The value of the investment is about PLN 110 million ($31 million), of which PLN 107 million ($30 million) comes from NFO?iGW.
Wojciech Ignacok, the CEO of Geotermia Podhala?ska, informed that his company already made the investment. Ultimately, as he explained, the power of the heating plant is to be increased by over 15 MW, and from existing ones by more than 5 MW. “Thanks to that, we will be able to deliver the heat to the local customers in Podhale, keep prices low and connect new customers.” he said. Ignacok announced that the plant could be ready by the end of 2019.
Father King determined that a part of the heating plant could start operating in 2018. He also reported that talks were being conducted on joining the heating network in Toru?.
Source: Cire (Poland)
