The dramatic situation surrounding energy and raw materials is affecting both energy consumers and suppliers, who need to reconsider their plans. But Veolia Group — the main heat supplier in the Moravian-Silesian Region—continue their important and long-term projects. This applies, for example, to the modernisation and ecologisation of the Karviná heating plant, where the use of coal will gradually be reduced and replaced by a combination of gas, biomass and processed non-recyclable waste. The investments in new technologies will allow for the ecological and safe production of heat for Karviná and Havířov from locally available sources.

The whole of Europe wants to replace coal with renewable sources in the long term and now, because of the war in Ukraine, it is also trying to find a way to get rid of its dependence on Russian gas. This brings security and self-sufficiency to the forefront of the energy sector. All of this also affects energy producers and suppliers in our country. Those who have already focused on diversifying their risks and using different types of fuels with an emphasis on regional options have an advantage. This is the route Veolia has taken, and today it is proving to be the right one. 

One example is one of Veolia‘s largest projects in the Moravian-Silesian Region — the further ecologisation and modernisation of the Karviná Heating Plant, which supplies heat to Karviná and Havířov. Last year, Veolia built a gas connection there and is currently building gas boilers. At the same time, it continues to maintain coal-fired technology as the central technology, which will be decommissioned when the construction of the new multi-fuel boiler is completed. This boiler will be able to generate heat from biomass and so-called solid alternative fuels, which will be produced from sorted municipal waste, preferably from the region.

This combination allows us to react to the current situation and the availability of individual fuels.  The residents of Havířov and Karviná will thus have, unlike some other towns in the Czech Republic, a stable supply of heat with a high proportion of renewable sources at a reasonable price. Veolia cannot and will not wait to see how the plan between the City of Havířov and ČEZ Group, based on the construction of new boiler houses around the city and expensive and uncertain gas from Russia, turns out. They are aware of its responsibility towards towns and municipalities and are continuing the transformation project they have started.

Energy utilisation of local municipal waste

An additional benefit of this project is the modern energy utilisation of municipal waste, which will no longer be allowed to end up in landfills. Veolia will thus significantly help towns and municipalities in the Karviná region to solve waste issues and to use waste in a meaningful way based on the principle of circular economy. To this end, a contractual cooperation has been established between Veolia and CEVYKO, which is preparing the  construction of a Municipal Waste Recovery Centre.  The initiator of the project and one of the three shareholders of CEVYKO is the  city of Havířov. The aim of the project is to build a modern technological facility to efficiently process municipal waste with the production of solid alternative fuels to be used in a multi-fuel boiler in the Karviná heating plant.  

The project will enable participating towns and municipalities to use municipal waste in the long term not only in accordance with legislation but also with the maximum possible degree of material and energy recovery. Thanks to cooperation with Veolia, Havířov can become an example of a  responsible and modern approach to waste for other towns and cities in the Moravian-Silesian Region.