The challenge
In Poland, where coal still accounts for almost 90% of energy resources, it is essential to develop cleaner production units in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions - and so meet the government objective of producing 15% green energy by 2020 and 21% by 2030.
Customer objectives
The cities of Poznań and Łódź have opted to prioritize their urban heating networks over individual boilers. However, the heat and electricity production plants still run massively on coal and which is a threat to the climate.
Veolia’s solution
Modernize the cogeneration plants in both cities and convert them to biomass in order to reduce the level of nitrogen oxide emissions as well as emissions of sulphur dioxide, carbon dioxide and dust, thereby contributing to the deployment of heating networks, which are key in creating a circular economy.
In Łódź, the New Energy for Łódź project is being implemented, which concerns the full decarbonisation of the Łódź heating system. The project in the future includes the replacement of coal with pre-RDF (Refuse Derived Fuels), gas, biomass and black pellets, and the implementation of other ecological solutions to reduce the carbon footprint.
Veolia Energia Poznań is also preparing full replacement of coal in its fuel mix by gas and biomass/black pellets.
Innovation
In Poznań, a smart heating network has been developed since 2007.
In Łódź, an intelligent heating network is systematically developed, including using the Internet of Things technology. It includes telemetric management and simulation tools to optimize the use of networks and enable Veolia teams to react more quickly to incidents.
416,000 MWh
of green electricity produced/year
522,000 metric tons
of biomass burned/year
545,000 metric tons
of CO2 emissions avoided in the two cities
Technologies
Poznań plant have been equipped with a non-catalytic system that keeps nitrogen oxide emissions under 200 mg/Nm3. Veolia Energia Łódź has non-catalytic system in two boilers in Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant number 4. The next 5 units in CHP3 and CHP4 have a combined system - catalytic and non-catalytic.
Customer benefits
Environmental performance
• Veolia rolls out modern solutions that reduce both pollutant emissions (coal combustion residue capture systems) and the consumption of raw materials and energy (by using biomass).
• In both cities, Veolia is involved in city centre rehabilitation programs by connecting buildings to the heating network, thus eliminating individual coal stoves, which not only emit pollutants - especially dust and CO2 but are also a fire hazard.
• In terms of energy efficiency, the 3 units in CHP4 in Łódź are comparable to the best.
Economic performance
By opting for an improved approach to the energy mix that incorporates biomass, Veolia is contributing to local economic development, ensuring both a high level of resource quality and availability and an economically profitable heating method.
Social performance
In the context of vocational training, Veolia has created special classes for the job of energy technician.
Societal performance
• Veolia organizes educational initiatives relating to heat production and supply, including open days at cogeneration plants, and campaigns to encourage environmentally friendly behaviour day-to-day: waste sorting, efficient use of energy and water, etc.
• Veolia works closely with local communities to improve the state of the environment and living conditions in cities, and with universities by contributing to the development of educational programs that reflect the main trends in energy development.
Scope of the contract
Site: cities of Łódź and Poznań
Population: approximately 700,000 people covered in Łódź and 400,000 in Poznań
Facilities: Karolin cogeneration plant in Poznań, consisting of 3 units with a total output of 270 MWe and a thermal output of 790 MWt; cogeneration plant (CHP3 and CHP4) in Łódź, consisting of 7 units with a total output of 404 MWe and a thermal output of 1624 MWt.
Contract period
Since 2005
Sector of activity
Municipal
Expertise
• Energy management for the thermal power plants on the heating networks in Łódź and Poznań based on coal, partly replaced by biomass.
• Investment in boilers and a complete logistics supply system.
• Delivery of electricity and management of thermal facilities.
Planet
•A national campaign with the slogan "Healthier through the heating network" was aired on Radio Three in autumn 2019. The advertising spots suggest simple ways of saving energy and resources. They remind people that by using the heating network, we safeguard health, and at the same limit the emission of toxic substances into the air. Veolia's subsidiaries in Warsaw, Łódź and Poznań continued the campaign on local radio stations from 18 November.
• In Łódź, the first thermoelectric power station, built in 1907, has become a contemporary cultural centre. Inside, Poland's most modern Planetarium serves as an open space for workshops, art exhibitions and other events. A Science and Technology Centre also offers exhibition spaces including the former engine room, boiler room, pump room, cold storage and switchgear room.
Veolia Energia Łódź is a partner of the EC1 Science and Technology Center in the field of the educational path "Energy processing".
People
•Veolia Energia Łódź, heir to the traditional energy suppliers in Łódź, is an important partner of the Łódź branch of the Association of Polish Electrical Engineers (SEP), which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2019. As part of the Jubilee, Veolia Energia Łódź was honoured by SEP for its contribution to the development of Polish energy engineering.
• The SEP branch in Łódź and Veolia Energia Łódź jointly implement numerous science, education and history research projects that benefit not only the energy sector but also people living in both the city and the region.