On December 29, 2009 Południowy Koncern Energetyczny and Polimex-Mostostal signed a contract for the erection of the heat and power unit.

On December 18, 2009, the Extraordinary Assemble of the Shareholders passed the resolution to commence the construction. The contractor was selected by means of the tender.

Jan Kurp – Chairman of PKE Management Board and Piotr Mateja – Vice-chairman signed the contract on behalf of PKE, Polimex was represented by the Chairman of the Board – Konrad Jaskóła and the Vice-chairman Zygmunt Artwik.

The new unit will be equipped with a fluidized-bed boiler, back-pressure turbine, two peak boilers and the heat accumulator of the 50MW capacity. The unit of the stipulated efficiency amounting to 87% will operate in cogeneration in Bielsko-Biała Heat and Power Plant EC1. The European Union power policy promoting cogeneration of heat and electric energy (the so-called red certificates) was taken into account during the works on the location selection, the selection of the technology for the coal-fired unit as well as the local conditioning. These are related to the fact that PKE is the sole heat supplier on the local market of Bielsko-Biała which is perceived as a stable and perspective market. In December 2008, a tripartite agreement was signed between the municipality of Bielsko-Biała, PKE and the Municipal Company Therma for the long-term heat delivery (to 2027) to the heat system of Bielsko-Biała.

The second step in the execution of Bielsko-Biała investment was the signing of the contract between PKE and PURE Jaworzno III Ltd. for the preparation of the construction site for the new heat and power unit. The signing took place on January 7, 2010. On behalf of Południowy Koncern Energetyczny the contract was signed by Zbigniew Adamczyk – Bielsko-Biała Heat and Power Plant EC1 Managing Director and Jan Blachura Technical Director of EC1. PURE Jaworzno III was represented by Andrzej Szpak – Chairman of the Management Board and Bożena Baster – the Vice-chairman.

The scope of works as per the agreement includes the demolition and relocation on the construction site which will enable the investment execution. The works will be commenced in January and will be completed with the making the construction site available to the contractor – Polimex-Mostostal SA in May 2010.
Bielsko-Biala Heat and Power Plant covers almost 100% heat and electric energy demand of Bielsko-Biała city and surrounding area from its two sources: EC1 – located in the city center and EC2 – located on the border of Bielsko-Biała and Czechowice-Dziedzice.

(DW)