Pursuant to the ordinance of the Minister of Economy of August 14, 2008 on detailed provisions on the obligation to acquire certificates of origin and submit them for collection, (Journal of Laws from 2008, no 156 item 969) Południowy Koncern Energetyczny, thus Jaworzno III Power Plant, is obliged to generate the so-called green energy as a part of the entire volume.

The construction of the power unit firing renewable fuels as the energy source in PKE SA Jaworzno III Power Plant – Plant II means a new investment comprising a complete, cutting-edge and sustainable biomass-fired boiler, auxiliary equipment, biomass storage and feed systems as well as the retrofit of the existing facilities of the 50MWe power unit. With this approach, the Renewable Energy Source Power Unit will make use of the existing turbine no 1, which currently is a back-up turbine in a good technical condition allowing its further long-term operation for the electric energy generation.

The new circulating fluidized-bed boiler will be erected in the place where boilers PK 10 no 5, 6, 7 were located. The rated capacity of the boiler will amount to 201 tons of steam per hour. The parameters of the primary steam on the boiler outlet need to be in accord with the turbine requirements i.e. temperature 510°C and pressure circa 10 MPa. The planned boiler efficiency will be equal to or will exceed 90%. The unit will fire biomass of the weight share up to 80% of forest biomass (wood chips, wood pellets) and up to 20% of agriculture biomass the so-called agro-biomass (canola pellets, canola straw pellets, bran pellets, grain slurry, sunflower seed and hull pellets, canola seed cake).

Due to the specific content of particular substances in the biomass type agro, in the light of the regulations and laws in force, it was stipulated that the unit need to be commissioned by the end of 2012. The construction process completion in the above mentioned time guarantees the weight share of agro-biomass to forest biomass at the level of 20 to 80. Biomass intended to be fired in the boiler will be transported on the storage location by means of truck transportation, where the biomass will be unloaded into the silos and onto the open storage lots.

In emergency situations concerning blocks no 2 and 3 (particularly in the winter seasons), the steam from the new boiler will be used for the generation of the heat since the new boiler will be connected to the existing basic unit of the network water heating.

Works related to the relocation of the pipelines: fire protection water to extinguish installations in cable tunnels, central heating and utility hot water installations, storm sewer system, air and steam pipelines to the carburizing trestle bridge were commenced in the boiler room part which is currently out of operation. The retrofit of belt conveyors and the modernization of the walking passageways, vertical transportation as well as the demolition of the boiler room will be carried out in shortly.

Within the framework of the procedures for the selection of the Contractor for ‘the construction of the biomass-fired boiler in PKE S.A. Jaworzno III Power Plant – Power Plant II with auxiliary equipment and biomass storage and feed systems, on January 20 on site of Plant II, the company organized a site inspection during which representatives of the potential contractors had a possibility to get acquainted with the site of the future investment.

The tender procedures are underway. The Committee is working on the answers to the questions posed by the potential contractors. The bid submission deadline was set in early March.

The contract signing for the construction of the boiler and the storage system is planned in April this year.

(TL)