Last updated on: 2020-04-17

Energy transition

 

 

 

ZE PAK SA in the face of climate change

 

  

The energy transition in Poland, and ZE PAK itself, is not fiction – it is a fact. The ZE PAK SA Capital Group fully understands the need for energy transition – not only in terms of Poland, but also Europe and the entire world. We systematically conduct modernization of our power plants and take action to reduce our emissions when producing energy. The effect of these efforts is the use of the biomass unit by the Konin Power Plant, which partially supplies the city with heat from renewable energy sources. A second such unit will soon appear there: within a year and a half, the K-7 boiler will be reconstructed in order to use biomass instead of coal as fuel. Owing to this endeavour, the Konin Power Plant will soon become the first generating unit in the whole country, in which the fuel has been completely converted from lignite into biomass (RES). Konin will become the first city heated with energy originating exclusively from renewable sources.

  

We also constantly monitor the air quality, surface waters of Konin lakes used to cool the Pątnów and Konin power plants, as well as actively operate in the areas of former open-pit mines, restoring their recreational, agricultural and forestry values.

 

 ZE PAK SA thanks to responsible and competent management has been present on the energy market for over 60 years. Today we employ many thousands of people, ensuring our employees financial stability and providing their families with a sense of security. Our facilities also play a significant role in ensuring energy security of the region and the state. Experts estimate that by the end of 2030 Polish power plants should have a total capacity of 55,000 MW in order to guarantee energy independence to our country. Bearing these forecasts in mind, from day to day, it is not feasible to replace such a well-functioning organism as ZE PAK with a plant based entirely on renewable energy, by a quick move with one lever. Moreover, Poland still does not have a nuclear power plant, thus it is not able to rely on the atom in the event of the termination of operations of conventional power plants or other renewable energy sources.

 

 Dear environmentalists – let’s stick together! We are changing and want to keep on changing, but we need time, solid plans and, above all, resources. That is why, we are strong supporters of the transition, which has to be carried out reasonably, spread over time, and based on iron principles. Protests that temporarily disrupt the operation of a part of the power plant complex or mines will never bring tangible results; we bear too much responsibility for our employees, their families, the economy and security of the region and the country. But still we can use your help!

 

 The necessary time is crucial in order to carry out the energy transition, we need it to have the opportunity to retrain our employees and successfully finalize long-term projects – that is why we need the policy makers (on domestic and national level) to consistently implement long-range and long-term plans for just transition in Poland, Europe and the world. We need the European Union to be willing to cooperate in the face of the climate change. A technology is required that will ensure our plants profitability and stability – its availability largely depends on the world of science. Co-financing is needed, owing to which we will implement investments, such as the construction of photovoltaic and wind farms in the areas of former open-pit mines. These are the places where your activities, as social and environmental organizations, will certainly bring the greatest benefits.

  

Thanks to your assistance, we will be able to continue our operations, at the same time ensuring future generations safe, beautiful and clean Poland.

 

Considering the participation in Poland's energy transition and out of concern for the natural environment, ZE PAK SA is a member of the "Clean Poland Program" association. It was established on the initiative of Mr Zygmunt Solorz and its objective is to make Poland clean by means of taking care of the country, being concerned with the natural environment, air, water and the nature that surrounds us.

 

 

 

Energy transition in ZE PAK SA

 

 

On April 3, 2019, an agreement was signed in Konin for a just energy transition of Eastern Greater Poland. The agreement was the first step towards broader cooperation in the transition of the Eastern Greater Poland Region. At that time, the concept of "Just Transition" was created to reflect the nature of change in coal regions.

 

On April 8, the third plenary session of the Coal Platform (Platform for Coal Regions in Transition) took place in Brussels. At the session, the region of Eastern Greater Poland was represented by numerous delegation members, which also included representatives of Zespoł Elektrowni Pątnów-Adamów-Konin SA – Marcin Ginel – the then President of the Management Board, and Adam Kłapszta and Zbigniew Stępniewski – management advisers dealing with the issues of energy transition.

During the session, projects prepared by individual regions were presented. The following projects were accepted for further proceedings, out of the proposals submitted by ZE PAK SA: "construction of a photovoltaic farm", "construction of a biomass boiler", "construction of a heat storage facility for the needs of the city", "production and distribution of hydrogen" and "manufacture of panels", "wind farm in reclaimed post-mining areas", "construction of an energy storage facility". 

 

The vision of our region's development – based on modern technologies, on clearly defined directions, i.e. renewable energy sources and providing energy at the highest level (electromobility and hydrogen technology) – has attracted the representatives of the World Bank. They visited Konin at the invitation of the Regional Development Agency, where they talked about the just transition of Eastern greater Poland and building an optimal strategy for it.

 

Just transformation is a difficult and regionally diverse process. That is why a significant event for ZE PAK and the entire region was the official confirmation by Marc Lemaitre, the Director General for Regional and Urban Policy of the European Commission, that the Eastern Greater Poland was included in the mechanism of the Just Transition Fund.

According to the Commission estimates, the energy transition in Poland will cost EUR 240 billion. The Just Transition Fund is to invest both in its implementation and in mitigating the effects it entails.

 

The Jaspers Report - Joint Assistance to Support Projects In European Regions has recently been published. It is an initiative aimed at improving the development of projects applying for financing from EU funds and providing Member States with the acceleration of the EU subsidy and assistance in using it in the most effective manner. The Report gathers all projects presented during the Coal Platform meetings.

Particularly noteworthy is the fact that out of the eight projects that Jaspers indicated as the most useful in the transition process for all coal regions, as many as four came from the Greater Poland region, including three submitted by ZE PAK SA.