Extensive Ecologisation of Heating Plants Continues as Planned
26 ǀ POSITIV 4/2023
BUSINESS
Extensive Ecologisaon
of Heang Plants Connues as Planned
Veolia Energie is the largest heat distributor in the Czech Republic. Through one of the most
extensive district heating networks in Central Europe, it supplies heat and hot water to
580,000 households. It also supplies energy to hospitals, schools and a number of industrial
enterprises. As Jakub Tobola, Veolia Group's Sales Director, confirms the shift of heating
plants away from coal and towards more environmentally friendly fuels is proceeding
according to plan.
Veolia Energie ČR is the first large heating company
to announce that it wants to stop burning coal
by 2030. How is the greening of your heating plants
in Moravia progressing?
We started with the decarbonisation of the Přerov
Heating Plant, which we converted from coal to natural
gas, biomass and solid alternative fuels (SAF), which is
the sorted part of municipal waste that can no longer
be recycled. We are working on a project in Olomouc
where we want to stop burning brown coal. In Frýdek-
Místek and Karviná we have already finished the gas part
and in Karviná we are preparing for the construction of
a boiler for the use of SAF. Gasification is also complete
at the Přívoz heating plant in Ostrava, where we burn
coke oven gas and natural gas. We are also preparing
a solution for the largest heating plant in Moravia –-
Třebovice Power Plant in Ostrava. We are proceeding
according to plan, and we are investing hundreds of
millions every year in greening and transformation. We
want to meet the given deadline.
What are the prospects for the heating industry
in the coming years and decades? Will it remain
in its present form?
District heating plays an important role in the energy
sector and is valued abroad as well. It is a service
that operates in a stable, safe and environmentally
friendly way and it would be a shame to break up
the district heating system just because in some
cases it can now cost a little more than alternatives,
which is largely due to the uneven market conditions.
We face competition from, for example, small gas-
fired boiler plants that do not have to pay the cost
of emission allowances but are a source of pollution
with a much greater impact locally than a central
heating plant. In addition, European legislation counts
with carbon dioxide emission payments for small gas
boilers as well, starting from 2027. In the case of coal-
fired district heating plants, these emission payments
increase the final price of heat by around CZK 250 per
gigajoule. So we are not just moving away from coal
to please investors, but it is an economic necessity
as well. The use of renewable sources is, in turn, our
responsibility towards our planet.
“
We are proceeding according
to plan, and we are invesng hundreds
of millions every year in greening
and transformaon. We want to meet
the given deadline.
”