Polish state-owned energy company PGE announced on Friday (26 January) that its subsidiary PGE Ekoserwis managed 3.5 million tonnes of by-products of combustion in 2023.
Materials resulting from the energy combustion process such as gypsum, ashes and slag, were utilised in various sectors of the economy, including construction, agriculture, livestock farming and mining. This approach saved natural resources, avoided the creation of new landfills, and reduced carbon dioxide emissions, PGE noted in a press release.
Thanks to our own research and development base in the form of the Research and Development Centre GOZ in Bełchatów, a highly qualified team of technologists, as well as collaboration with universities and scientific institutions, we have developed and implemented high-quality materials and products for various applications, including construction. Our binders and eco-substructures have been used in hundreds of road construction projects throughout the country,” said Wojciech Dąbrowski, President of the PGE Management Board.
In 2023, PGE Ekoserwis collected over 800,000 tonnes of synthetic gypsum, primarily supplying it to cement plants and the construction industry. Gypsum, used as fertiliser, found its way into agriculture and mushroom production. It was also exported to the Netherlands for use in construction. Ashes, on the other hand, were delivered to cement plants, concrete plants, producers of precast elements, and the construction chemical industry, as well as to foundries.
“In road construction, alternative materials are increasingly being used, which are derived from ashes and slag produced during coal combustion in power generation. Their advantage lies in being environmentally friendly, reducing the extraction of natural minerals, rationalising raw material consumption, limiting carbon dioxide emissions, and minimising waste generation,” Mr Dąbrowski added.
Another sales direction was civil engineering, where combustion by-products were transformed into binders, stabilisers and eco-substructures, contributing to hundreds of road construction projects nationwide. Notable projects included Poland’s A2 motorway and expressways S1, S6, S7, S11, S19.
PGE signs letter to cooperate on circular economy with Polish university
Separately, PGE Ekoserwis signed a letter of intent in December with AGH University of Science and Technology to cooperate on circular economy projects.