The Polish heating sector is on the threshold of a profound transformation.
It is dictated by technical, geopolitical and climatic conditions.

Characteristics of the Polish heating system

Poland’s heating system has its own peculiarities. This is because it consists of the largest number of high-capacity subsystems in the entire European Union, which determines the possibilities for development and transformation. Poland also has one of the largest district heating networks on the Old Continent, with a total length of about 21,500 kilometres. However, the sector also has serious problems. As much as 80% of Poland’s entire district heating system requires energy efficiency improvements. This means that much of the energy generated by the units of this system is simply wasted. The Polish heating industry is also a huge consumer of coal. As much as 74% of Polish heating plants are powered by hard coal, the sector burns about 26 million tonnes of this raw material annually, which of course affects its carbon footprint.

These initial conditions must be combined with technical, geopolitical and climatic factors.

Causes of problems in the heating industry

First and foremost, many Polish heating plants struggle with ageing infrastructure, which is declining in efficiency but increasing in failure rate. Such units need to be replaced or overhauled – otherwise, there could be a disruption in the heat supply.

Russia’s launch of a full-scale war in Ukraine has also changed a lot in the heating sector. The response of Western countries – including Poland – is sanctions, including on Russian energy resources. Coal exports were targeted first. The European Union has banned them since August 2022, while Poland has already banned them since April. This was crucial for the heating industry, which was one of the main customers for Russian raw materials. The ban on importing coal from Russia has increased pressure to find fuel alternatives for heating plants.

The need to change the source of power generation in the heating industry also stems from the European Union’s climate policy, which is tailored according to the principle of “who emits – pays”. Coal, on the other hand, is a highly emissive fuel, resulting in a compulsion to buy up large amounts of emission allowances. Meanwhile, the price of these securities jumped sharply – by the end of 2021 it was around EUR 100 per tonne.

Bydgoszcz Solec Kujawski CHP Plant. A cogeneration system with a capacity of 1.56 MWe is installed (photo source: Eneria)

Zdjęcie Eneria: Elektrociepłownia Bydgoszcz Solec Kujawski. Zainstalowany układ kogeneracyjny o mocy 1,56 MWe.

Poland’s Energy Policy

All these factors translate into the need for changes in the Polish heating sector. The outline of this transformation is shown in Poland’s Energy Policy until 2040, which assumes an increase in the share of RES in the entire heating industry, an increase in the share of district heating systems with efficient status, a 34% reduction in emissions between 2019 and 2030, and the connection of 1.5 million new households to the district heating network.

According to industry insiders, the best transformation tool for Poland’s heating industry is cogeneration units based on gaseous fuels. Such devices are supplied by Eneria, which boasts a wide range of equipment from the renowned Caterpillar brand. Our engineers and experts offer support at every stage of the investment – from the selection of a specific device, preceded by verification of the loads the unit is to power, through the technical design of the system, and installation, to continuous service support. The solutions we offer not only meet the demand for useful heat and enable the sale of electricity, but also reduce the emissions of individual thermal power plants. Therefore, this is a multi-level profit opportunity for companies in this sector.

 pkwasowiec@eneria.pl

Written by: Paweł Kwasowiec
CHP Sales Manager