BUSINESS

We Want to Be the Leader of Ecological

Heating in the Region

Jakub Tobola, Sales director of the Veolia Energie Group, talks about the latest trends in the use of

renewable heat sources, planned projects and the benefits of the central heating supply system.

How does Veolia manage to meet

environmental requirements?

Veolia Energie has decided not to merely

meet Czech and European requirements but

to exceed them. Within the Czech Republic,

there is talk today of the end of coal by 2038.

Our group plans are to end the operation

of coal resources by 2030 and on most of

them we will be able to do so much earlier.

As a major heating company, we want to

be a leader in the Czech Republic in the

ecological transformation of the heating

industry.

What projects have already been

implemented in our region and what are

you planning?

Over the last ten years, we have implemented

projects worth almost 10b CZK. Significant

investments have been made in most of our

resources. Examples are Ostrava, Karviná

and Frýdek-Místek, where we have invested

in greening, desulphurisation and reducing

nitrogen emissions.

One of the key areas is the greening of the

heating plant in Karviná where, in the next

two years, we plan a partial gasification of the

heating plant and in 2026 the construction of

a multi-fuel boiler for solid alternative fuels.

The new solution corresponds to the latest

trends in the use of low-emissions sources and

will reduce emissions in Karviná and Havířov.

The Karviná heating plant, which is located

halfway between Karviná and Havířov, is the

main source of heat for the inhabitants of both

towns. The construction of a similar multi-fuel

boiler is already underway in Přerov.

In Frýdek-Místek, we want to fully switch

to biomass and produce heat without

unnecessary CO2 emissions and other

pollutants within two to three years. This will

also lead to highly efficient cogeneration, i.e.

the joint production of heat and electricity. In

addition, we will supplement this technology

with modern gas boilers which would

strengthen production in the event of very

severe frosts.

We are cooperating with the MoravianSilesian Region on the concept of a coalfree region by 2030, which also includes

a comprehensive solution for Ostrava. Within

the planned projects, we expect partial

financing from the Modernization Fund.

30 ǀ POSITIV 3/2021

In addition to greening resources, we also

want to use modern alternative methods

of energy production in the region—

photovoltaics, heat pumps or cogeneration

units for the joint production of electricity and

heat. We are also preparing projects for the

production of green hydrogen.

Who are your customers?

Our main partners are cities and

municipalities. These are, for example, the

municipal distribution companies Distep

in Frýdek-Místek or the Havířov heating

company in Havířov, which take heat from

us and distribute it to households. Another

important partner is Heimstaden, which

manages more than 40,000 flats in the region.

I would like to emphasize that our greening

strategy perfectly complements our partners‘

vision of moving away from fossil fuels by

2030 and reducing the carbon footprint.

Many of them today are looking at how

the fuels from which they consume energy

are produced. Today, state institutions,

cities, municipalities, the region and also

private companies are aware of their social

responsibility and want to do their utmost

to protect the environment. Veolia is able

to support them in this approach and fully

ensure a supply of low-emission or green

energy and heat, so clients do not have to

invest in greening from their own financial

resources. Both we and our customers think

the same today. The least possible impact on

the environment and long-term sustainability

are equally important for everyone.

Will greening affect heat prices?

We plan all projects in such a way that they

simultaneously green and heat production

is made more efficient while the existing

reasonable heat prices are maintained.

Although leaving coal generally means large

investments for the Czech heating industry,

our future fuel base will be so diverse that it

will allow us to maintain stable heat prices in

the long run. Customers do not have to worry

about step changes.

Few people realize this today, but one of the

biggest cost items is the price of CO2, i.e.

‘allowances’ to emit emissions from burning

fossil fuels, which large heating plants have

to buy dearly. Therefore, we focus mainly on

secondary and renewable sources which

are not burdened by this cost.

What effect does the central heating

supply have on the air quality in the

region?

This significantly contributes to improving

air quality. The heat sources are green and,

in addition, they are located outside the

housing development.

However, the deterioration of air quality

in these areas may be caused by the

construction of domestic gas boilers

or local heating plants. Simply put, one

large chimney which produces strictly

controlled, measured and minimized

emissions is better than hundreds of small

domestic boilers with low chimneys that

emit directly into housing. During inversion,

the pollutants remain in the given locality

and pollute the immediate surroundings. It

is documented that one family house with

a solid fuel boiler releases the same amount

of dust into the air as a heating plant in

the production of heat for three hundred

apartments. Even gas heating within the

village is not ideal, for example, from the

point of view of nitrogen oxides. That is why

we should try to maintain district heating

systems, especially in our region.

Is the district heating a Czech specificity?

This method of heating is widespread

not only in the Czech Republic but also

in developed western countries with

comparable climatic conditions. Whether

it is neighboring Austria or Germany,

Denmark, Finland or France.

Within the European Union, the central

heating supply system has been evaluated

as the most efficient and at the same time

cost-effective and it is certainly worth

preserving and further developing it in the

Czech Republic. Unfortunately, if there

were major disconnections caused by the

construction of domestic boiler rooms, the

damage would be irreversible. Systems of

a similar scale are very difficult to restore

and their new construction is extremely

difficult and expensive.

Mr Tobola, thank you for the interview.