Our priority is ensuring energy security whilst reducing environmental footprint.
Lower CO2 emissions
We are aware of climate changes. Our growth plans take into consideration EU climate policy priorities focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. All development projects included in our 2020 strategy will translate into lower CO2 emissions. Our priority is ensuring energy security whilst reducing environmental footprint. Our sustainable approach to development takes into account Poland's geography and natural resources.
We are carefully evolving towards a greater diversification of our production mix, while limiting our CO2 emissions. Thanks to this we are reducing our exposure to the cost of CO2 allowances. Key impact on the dynamics of change comes from the regulatory environment, which shapes the economics of investments (LINK to REGULATIONS), taking into account aspects such as energy independence, supply security and the social and economic situation. Further investments in low-emission technologies, including renewable sources, after 2020 will largely be motivated by a new framework of EU climate policy.
Our renewables
We are the leader in renewable energy in Poland and we wish to retain this position. By 2030, we plan to have a 25% share of the domestic renewables market. We are developing this business responsibly in respect of our shareholders - taking into account economic considerations. One investment being prepared by us is a 1 GW offshore wind farm project (LINK to STRATEGY).
PGE Group's current renewables production potential is close to 1 GW, which accounts for 12% of renewables capacities installed in Poland. Our installations produced approx. 10% of national electricity output from renewable sources in 2016. We remain the wind energy leader in Poland, with 529 MW of installed capacity (9% of overall capacity in Poland).
Installed renewables capacity:
Type |
Number of units |
||
Wind assets |
14 |
529.0 |
|
Hydro assets |
29 |
96.8 |
|
Biomass assets |
2 |
75.2 |
|
Pumped-storage assets with natural inflow |
2 |
291.5 |
|
PV |
1 |
0.6 |
|
Total renewables |
|
993.1 |
Efficiency of generation
Our on-going investments are the key to significantly lowering CO2 emissions. Our priority is to ensure that plant modernisations improve their generation efficiency - but also reduce CO2 emissions. In 2016, we completed a comprehensive modernisation of Elektrownia Bełchatów. The next step is a comprehensive modernisation of Elektrownia Turów.
We use the best currently available technologies. Thanks to this, emissions in newly-built units in Opole and Turów may be 25% lower, compared to existing units.
Estimates
Use of local resources
Taking into account the natural environment and economic considerations, it is important to use local fuel resources. We also use biomass at our installations. This stimulates local biomass producers (including farmers) and makes it possible to utilise years-long stockpiles, dry remains after crops and forestry production.
We see growth potential driven by the circular economy - our first installation for transforming waste into energy is being constructed at the CHP plant Rzeszów.
We are not forgetting about the use of local natural gas resources. At the beginning of 2017, we commissioned another gas-and-steam unit at the CHP plant Gorzów (net power output 138 MW and heat 100 MW). The use of natural gas as a fuel also enables us to lower CO2 emissions.
Energy warehousing
We consider energy warehousing as an exceptionally important element of respecting the natural environment. This has particular meaning in the era of developing renewables. Renewables production is dependent on weather conditions and not on demand for electricity. Warehousing this energy and making it available during periods of higher demand is currently the largest challenge. We believe that commercialisation of economically effective energy warehouses will be a gamechanger for the power industry.
Meanwhile, we are using available technologies such as pumped-storage plants. We own most of the pumped-storage capacities installed in Poland. Our four pumped-storage plants total over 1.5 GW in installed capacity. They warehouse energy in their upper water reservoirs. And they make it possible to quickly make this energy available in the national power system when demand for electricity significantly increases.
Type |
Number of units |
|
Pumped-storage plants |
2 |
1 216.0 |
Pumped-storage plants with natural inflow |
2 |
291.5 |
Total pumped-storage plants |
|
1 507.5 |
Check how the hydroelectric and wind farm works. Film available here.
If you want to know more about hydro power plants, see video.
We are also conducting a Power-to-Gas programme, which is the use of surplus electricity to produce hydrogen fuel. This allows us to warehouse energy, produced mainly by wind farms, and to use it later. We expect that the pilot project, being executed in cooperation with gas transmission pipeline operator Gaz-System S.A., will make it possible for us to define this technology's potential and capacity for productively using hydrogen.