National fund supports geothermal heating expansion in Mszczonow, Poland
Thermal bath at Mszczonow, Poland (source: termy-mszczonow.eu)
Alexander Richter
16 Mar 2022
Government funding through a national fund set up to support geothermal projects has been made available for the expansion of a geothermal heating project in Mszczonow, Poland.
The Polish National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management (NFOSiGW) granted nearly PLN 16 million of co-financing to Geotermia Mazowiecka for a total of PLN 19.5 million (about EUR 4.1 million) for the modernization of the geothermal water heating system in Mszczonów, the fund said.
“The project will increase the use of geothermal resources in the commune and will ensure uninterrupted, continuous operation of the Mszczonów geothermal heating plant. The total cost of the project is PLN 19.5 million. The National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management will support it with a subsidy of approximately PLN 6.3 million and a loan of PLN 9.5 million, ”reads the release.
The planned ecological result of the project is the additional heat generation capacity of the plant (by 2.32 MWt). This will be accompanied by a reduction in the primary energy production coefficient in classic coal-fired sources (by 16 508 GJ / year). The implementation of the investment will allow the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere by 914 tons / year.
As part of the co-financed project, by the end of September 2023, the construction of the Mszczonów GT-1 geothermal well, the reconstruction of the Mszczonów IG-1 geothermal well and their combination into an operational and absorbent doublet, is planned. At the same time, the heating system in the city of Mszczonów will be rebuilt and modernized. Thanks to the implementation of the project, the obtained heat will be used for energy needs of recipients in the city of Mszczonów and Geotermia Mazowiecka’s own plant. Zero-emission power production in the plant will last the whole year – the amount of heat energy produced from renewable sources will reach 16 508 GJ / year.
“Obtaining and developing heat and electricity from renewable sources is one of our priorities. It is worth emphasizing that geothermal energy, although it requires quite large outlays, is a clean, zero-emission source. With good performance and the temperature of the intake – as we have, for example, in Mszczonów – operation is very profitable and returns many times over. What’s more, our national, natural energy resource of thermal waters is large – we should have it as much as possible. Mszczonów is a good example of a city where the use of geothermal waters has already contributed to improving the environment. I am convinced that the project discussed today is another step towards improving the living conditions of the inhabitants, commented Anna Moskwa, Minister of Climate and Environment, quoted in the press release.
The ‘Polska Geotermia Plus’ program, from which today’s project in Mszczonów is financed, is one of the two priority programs enabling the financing of this type of investment. In its new version, planned for the middle of the year, we will offer subsidies to enterprises for activities increasing geothermal resources in Poland, ”added Artur Michalski, vice-president of the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management.
Geotermia Mazowiecka was established in 1994 on the initiative of the local authorities of Zyrardów. Its plant in Mszczonów, as the third one in Poland, started producing geothermal water in 2000. Currently, it operates on the basis of a synchronous system, using thermal energy from underground water, gas heating boilers and a heat pump system, and supplies the municipal heating system.
Source: Inwestycje
