Events – Expert Study Visits to Poland, 14-18 November 2022

The Project is implemented by the Mineral and Energy Economy Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences and the National Energy Authority of Iceland (keygeothermal.pl). The Study Visit experts group included Icelandic and Polish team members who are the Project partners.

Konin and Chochołów were selected as the visit sites due to their prospects for geothermal use in district heating. Miejskie Przedsiębiorstwo Energetyki Cieplnej [Municipal District Heating Company] from Konin and Chochołowskie Termy [Chochołowskie Thermal Baths] were the visit hosts.

Konin

A geothermal well was drilled in Konin a few years ago and now another one is being drilled (to make a doublet) while a geothermal heating plant is under construction. Nowadays, most heat supplied to the inhabitants of Konin is mostly generated  by two biomass blocks of Konin Power Plant (PAK-PCE Biopaliwa i Wodór Sp. z o.o.)and in Zakład Termicznego Unieszkodliwiania Odpadów [Thermal Waste Neutralisation Facility], which is a part of Miejski Zakład Gospodarki OdpadamiKomunalnymi [Municipal Waste Management Company] (MZGOK Sp. z o.o.). Soon, some heat supplied to end users will originate from the geothermal resources.  

The Study Visit included meetings with the Mayor of Konin, the Board and managers of MPEC-Konin Ltd. (Municipal District Heating Company), representatives of companies involved in the geothermal project, and learning more (on site) about the geothermal wells and the geothermal heat plant under construction, facilities of the Municipal Waste Management Company, and Konin Power Plant’s systems (biomass units).  

The city of Konin has made transition policy from fossils fuels towards renewables energy green transition. As an example of that the Minister of Climate and Environment, supported by the National Fund for Environmental protection and Water management (NFEP&WM), as the Operator of the Environment, Energy and Climate Change Programme, informs of the conclusion of the agreement on co-financing Green city corridors – climatic awakening in Konin project The project obtains co-financing in the call for proposals the implementation of green and blue infrastructure in cities. The project is co-financed in 85% by the Environment, Energy and Climate Change Program of the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism (EEA Grant). Konin city is particularly affected by climate change due to its climatic conditions, burden on environment by energy industry and specificity of urbanization. Major problems are: local flooding, one of the lowest precipitation amounts, one of the highest annual air temperature increase +8.0°C in country, above average 4-kton dust emission above average (< 4-kton), large clusters of housing, concreted squares, small areas of greenery, low rainwater retention, urban heat islands raise temperature. In addition to this decision has also been made to close coal power plan of 1,2 GW in the area, in 2024 instead of 2030, that will reduce CO2 by about 7 million tons every year, lowering pollution and is a big step towards mitigating climate change.

As a result of the Study Visits, proposals and recommendations will be elaborated on some operation, technology and energy solutions for the geothermal project implemented in Konin. They will be developed by the Icelandic and Polish experts – the “KeyGeothermal” Project partners – in collaboration with specialists from MPEC-Konin and other entities.

Chochołów

Chochołowskie Thermal Baths have been operating in Chochołów for a few years now. Their operations are based on geothermal water with very good parameters, produced by the Chochołów PIG-1 well drilled at the turn of the 1980s and 1990s. Similarly to Konin, the second well is being drilled. Chochołowskie Thermal Baths has been successful and grown very rapidly in recent years and is now the biggest thermal park in the Podhale region, with up to few thousands guests every day.

The Study Visit included meetings with the Chochołowskie Thermal Baths Board and staff, local governments representatives and members of the team implementing the “Hydro-Geo-Solar” Project financed from EEA FM and Norway Grants (Chochołowskie Thermal Baths are the Project’s beneficiary). The participants learned more about the Thermal Baths’ facilities and systems, learned about the parameters of geothermal well in operation and the drilling of the new well.  

Chochołowskie Thermal Baths propose broader use of the geothermal water’s energy potential, e.g. for local district heating purposes. This would help reduce air pollution, to improve the inhabitants’ life quality and well-being of numerous tourists visiting the site, stabilise the heat prices, etc. The estimates, proposals and recommendations developed by the Project experts in collaboration with Chochołowskie Thermal Baths and local government representatives shall be helpful in determining the scale and method of the implementation mentioned above.

The proposals and recommendations from the Expert Study Visits to Konin and Chochołów will be included in the Report that is expected to be developed in the coming months. It shall include the knowledge, experiences and technologies proven in Iceland – the Donor State, and the Polish stakeholder’s experiences and proposals.

The next round of Expert Study Visits to Poland under the “KeyGeothermal” EEA Project is scheduled for 2023.  

The Project partners would like to thank all individuals and institutions for their collaboration in planning and organising the Expert Study Visits to Poland – in Koninand Chochołów. Successful Visits are the results of this good collaboration and engagement of many persons.