One year of Połaniec Power Plant in Enea Group

A year has passed since Połaniec Power Plant became part of Enea Group. The acquisition of the largest power plant in south-eastern Poland from the French energy giant Engie has significantly increased Enea’s generation potential, also of green energy generated in one of the biggest biomass units in the world. Today, Enea Elektrownia Połaniec – the company which operates Połaniec Power Plant – is an important part of the Group and has stable prospects for its future operations and further growth.

– 2017 was a year of dynamic growth for Enea Group. Thanks to the acquisition of Połaniec Power Plant and the launch of a new unit at Kozienice Power Plant, our installed power capacity has reached 6.2 GW. Over the last year, Enea Elektrownia Połaniec has become an important element of our Group. The progressing integration has enabled us to better use the potential of the Kozienice-Bogdanka-Połaniec mining and generation area and successfully implement our Strategy. We are planning to further develop our power plants, also by applying new technologies such as power generation based on Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) technology – said Mirosław Kowalik, President of the Board and CEO at Enea.

Presently the fourth-largest power plant in Poland, Połaniec has been continuously modernised since the mid-1990s. In the last years, a cutting-edge system of biomass delivery and combustion was added along with the Green Unit of 225 MW power capacity.

– As part of Enea Group, Połaniec Power Plant has stable prospects for the future. As we have already announced, we are planning to adapt our generation assets to meet the environmental requirements set out in the BAT directive. The cost of adaptation, as previously reported, is estimated to reach approx. PLN 350 million until 2023. Enea Group’s investment capacity gives us the confidence necessary to face this challenge  – said Lech Żak, President of Board at Enea Połaniec.

Enea Group has also decided to resume the Phoenix project. The project, which was suspended by the plant’s previous owners, helped increase the efficiency and life cycle of five of Połaniec Power Plant’s coal-fired units over the last years. Enea is currently reviving the stalled process of the plant’s modernisation. Moreover, Enea Group is also working on developing an upgrade plan for the first, and the oldest, power unit, which has another 4-5 years of operations ahead of it during the derogation period.

Enea Group is committed to acting in accordance with the principles of Corporate Social Responsibility, which has brought measurable benefits to the local community of Połaniec. Since last year, Enea Połaniec has been engaged in improving the safety of the local residents, as well as in supporting educational and sports projects. Also employee volunteering programmes have developed intensively over that time. Together with Enea Foundation, the company’s employees have initiated, amongst others, a cooperation project with “Dom Ojca Gwidona” (“The Blessed Guy de Montpellier House”) – a care and educational institution in Pacanów, and security workshops with local Voluntary Fire Brigades. The latest effects of the cooperation with the local community are the purchase of a rescue boat for the firefighters in Połaniec by Enea Foundation and the handover of modern medical equipment to the Staszów Hospital, acquired together with the Foundation for Fostering Education in Połaniec.

Enea Połaniec is one of the biggest and most important employers in the region. It ranks first in the “Golden One Hundred” – the list of the largest industrial plants in the Province of Kielce (Świętokrzyskie), south-eastern Poland. The company’s strong position on the job market was confirmed by the title of “The TOP Employer of Eastern Poland” and the gorget of “An Employer with Merit for National Defence”, both awarded in 2017.