Michałek on decarbonization. “We need to use all available sources”
– Cooperation with local government is important. We know how cities are developing and how much this heat will be needed in 2030 and 2050. We need to match our system so as not to overinvest it. This, in turn, will allow you to have a competitive price for our end client – says Mariusz Michałek, vice president of the board of PGE Energia Ciepła.
Bartosz Michalski, “Wprost”: The words “decarbonization” has recently been changed by all cases. At what level of departure from coal is PGE Energia Ciepła currently? What investments are implemented to meet the requirements of Red3 and EED directives?
Mariusz Michałek, Vice President of the Management Board of PGE Energia Ciepła: The company is in the process of reluctant the climate neutrality plan. Decarbonization is one of the first steps. We exchange sources that burn coal into other alternative. And it’s twice.
First of all, we must remember the effect of scale. So we use gas fuel for this, it allows us to replace the scale of heat production. However, to meet all the requirements of the directives, we must fully use the fuel mix, which is available – waste heat, heat pumps, or electrode boilers, which we were the first to implement.
We have already finished a number of investments. This year, we will give our largest investment in the first half, i.e. Nowy Czechnica, gas engines in Bydgoszcz, as well as a steam generator. However, this is not our last word. We plan to spend 8 billion from PLN 3.6 billion, which we have already spent. They will be intended, among others on the decarbonization of the heat and power plant in Krakow, Pomorzany, and Gdynia.
Is it possible to see from your perspective that the heating has “green” in recent years?
On the one hand, we want to use maximum renewable energy sources for heat production. This will allow us to maintain an effective system, and in turn will allow us to further develop this system.
That is why we use waste heat and large -scale heat pumps. With large systems, they will help us green the system.
Ultimately, in 2050, when we are at the end of our path, i.e. not only after the process of decarbonization, but a total zero emission. Then 100 percent of our sources will come from renewable energy.
What experiences from previous transformation projects would you indicate as key?
It’s a series of processes, but at the end of this path we must remember a few things.
First of all, about the fact that heat is produced locally, i.e. we must use all the sources available available there.
Secondly – regulations. We are a tariff entrepreneur. It is important that the regulations and energy sources are stable and predictable. This will allow us to obtain financing for all our projects, so that all our projects are “banking”.
Cooperation with local government is also important. We know how cities are developing and how much this heat will be needed in 2030 and 2050. We need to match our system so as not to overinvest it. This, in turn, will allow you to have a competitive price for our end client.
During the Congress, electrification was often mentioned.
We were the first to implement an electrode boiler, it is like one of the parts of the electrification.
Heat pumps also use electricity to transform this energy into heat. We are aware that we are at the beginning of this path. Perhaps finally this share will definitely be higher in 2050 – the share of electricity in the heat product. At the first stage of decarbonization, we use electrification, but it is not yet a volume that will be in 2050.
