Enea Trading and Polska Grupa Górnicza signed a letter of intent relating to the cooperation for development of the technology of utilising coal sludge in the energy sector

Enea Trading and Polska Grupa Górnicza (PGG) commenced cooperation within the exchange of experience and knowledge in order to prepare a new fuel mixture using coal sludge which would be possible to use for the commercial exploitation in the energy sector. The innovative product will allow for limiting the sales of the so-called sludge range to individual customers, which will help improve the quality of the air.

Enea Group’s and Polska Grupa Górnicza’s priority is cooperation within modernising the Polish energy and mining potential and building new competences in both sectors. The letter of intent signed by the companies will allow for making the cooperation relating to the commercial application of coal sludge and flotation concentrates via their use as coal fuel in power units belonging to Enea Group.

– As an innovative commodity and energy Group and one of the key entities of the Polish energy sector the cooperation with Polska Grupa Górnicza is very important to us. One of the elements of the said cooperation is scheduled collaboration within implementing technologies of applying sludge and flotation concentrate ranges in the commercial power industry based on our generation sources. I count that Enea’s knowledge and experience will contribute to the development of the technology – said Mirosław Kowalik, president of Enea.

– In Polska Grupa Górnicza we see the issue of managing coal sludge in two time perspectives. In the short-term what is the most important is limitation of sales of sludge ranges for individual customers, and limitation of a deep enrichment of dust ranges, which in consequence bring a drop in the production of so far difficult to sell ranges. In the long-term perspective, together with energy and scientific environments we search for ecological methods of their application – said Tomasz Rogala, the president of Polska Grupa Górnicza.

The plants covered by Enea Group have been cooperating with PGG for many years. Power plants and combined heat and power plants of Enea Group incessantly use also coal from mines belonging currently to PGG for energy generation. Enea has become a shareholder of PGG since March. It is therefore entirely justified, in this regard, to cooperate more widely than ever before, especially that both parties involved will benefit from the current initiative.

- Introduction of coal sludge as one of the co-fired materials will significantly reduce the cost of fuel consumption. Cooperation with PGG in the use of sludge and flotation concentrate range is complementary to the Group's coal portfolio where the coal supply from LW Bogdanka played and plays a key role. Preliminary analyses indicate that the unit cost of energy generation using fuel, prepared based on a modified technology from the available sludge grades, is lower than for other fuels – said Dawid Klimczak, president of Enea Trading.

– The effect of using sludge and flotation concentrates in the commercial power industry will be reduction of their sales to individual Customers. As a result, it will translate into the improvement of air quality - coal fired units at Kozienice Power Plant and Połaniec Power Plant are equipped with modern and extensive environmental installations, which for obvious reasons are not equipped with domestic furnaces – summed up Adam Hochuł, vice-president for sales in Polska Grupa Górnicza.

Coal sludge is the grade with 0-1 mm granulation. Coal is processed in order to improve its energetic properties. It occurs during a technological enrichment process. The process occurs in a water environment, and the separation derived products are next subject to dehydration processes. The effect of this process is production of coal sludge. Flotation concentrate is produced in the coal sludge enrichment process. Flotation concentrate is a combustible material characterising with a high net calorific value, and grain size of 0-1 mm. It characterises with a very stable and concurrently very economic combustion.