Minister Michał Kurtyka opened the international workshops on the transformation of European coal-fired power plants. The event was organised in the framework of the RECPP (Re-purposing Coal Power Plants during Energy Transition) project, which supports the activities undertaken by the European Commission in favour of fair transition, by involving 13 partners from the EU countries in an international consortium.  

Dialogue on the use and development of power plants’ infrastructure after their decommissioning

The workshops brought together a number of representatives from national and European institutions, as well as scientific and business circles, who discussed a number of challenges facing coal-based energy during the transition period. RECPP is to enable dialogue between the administration, site owner and the local community, presenting options for re-use and development of infrastructure of power plants after they are shut down. It is worth adding that the use of this infrastructure resources in regions sensitive to energy transition is part of EU climate policy and the actions of the Coal regions in transition.

Energy transition? Only when it’s fair and balanced

During the video-conference, Minister Kurtyka recalled the importance of a fair and balanced approach to the issue of energy transition. He stressed that the ministry he was heading was responsible for carrying out this process in an ambitious, consistent and responsible manner.

Climate policy and the European Green Deal are major challenges and difficult starting points. The need to modernise production units means that transitional measures are not an easy task for the countries with developed coal-fired power generation, said the head of the Ministry of Climate and Environment.

Minister Kurtyka pointed out that the organised workshops were an excellent opportunity for discussion, and the RECPP project is a tool that will allow Polish energy sector to get prepared better and faster for the imminent transition. Referring to the example of Silesia, he pointed out the need for special attention to regions which, because of their specific characteristics, would be most involved in the evolution process.

The plan for a gradual transition from coal-fired power generation is not only a matter of machinery and equipment, but above all a very important social issue. It is also a burden for regions traditionally based on coal, such as Silesia, which should receive as much support and assistance as possible within the transition process, said Minister of Climate and Environment.

RECPP: inventory and assessment of the potential of coal units

During the workshops, Minister Kurtyka pointed out that the infrastructure of coal-fired power plants is usually maintained in good technical condition. This is due to the ongoing need to ensure technological safety and protecting the environment around the infrastructure. The plant resources may still be useful once they have been adapted to the new economic destination of the site.

Projects such as RECPP are very important and necessary, as they will allow the inventory and assessment of the potential of coal-fired units and will facilitate their subsequent use, including for the benefit of local communities and all stakeholders, he said.

Workshops for the future

The RECPP project financed by the Research Fund for Coal and Steel and aiming at the assessment of the potential and possible use of infrastructure after decommissioning power plants was attended by, among others, the Economic Society Polish Power Plants, working together with the Main Mining Institute in a consortium led by the world technical association of plant operators VGB Powertech e.V. The meeting of a wide range of experts will certainly help to develop the desired and applicable solutions.

I believe these solutions will be in line with the goals of the circular economy and the approach to sectoral integration through location-specific solutions such as renewable energy production, geothermal energy production, hydrogen technologies and thermal energy storage using existing infrastructure, concluded Michał Kurtyka.