American multinational conglomerate GE announced the order of two high-efficiency and lower emission power units to be constructed through a consortium at the Dolna Odra Power Plant, operated by Poland’s largest energy sector company Polska Grupa Energetyczna Górnictwo i Energetyka Konwencjonalna’s (PGE) in the Western Pomerania region.
The two gas turbines, together with two steam turbines, will provide up to 1.4 gigawatt (GW) of power at the plant, the equivalent needed to power approximately one million Polish households. The order will further stabilise the regional grid, which heavily utilises variable onshore and offshore wind farms currently.
“PGE’s investment in Dolna Odra Power Plant based on gas fuel is our contribution to preparing the Polish power system for further development of renewable energy, in particular wind energy,” said Wojciech Dąbrowski, President of the Management Board of PGE.
PGE’s investment in modern gas-fired power units will provide stability for the long-term operation of the current coal-fired power plant. With this project, the company will transform Dolna Odra into a power plant producing electricity with lower emissions to meet regional environmental standards. With the commissioning of the new units in 2023, PGE’s plant is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by about 2-3 million tonnes per year.
“We remain focused on serving our customers during this challenging time, and we are very proud to build on more than 70 years of delivering energy solutions to Poland and support PGE as they move forward with energy systems that best meet their needs and targets for energy security, costs and sustainability,” said Michael Rechsteiner, Vice President Europe at GE Gas Power. “This project will combine GE’s turnkey expertise with leading combined-cycle power plant technology to provide more flexible, sustainable and reliable electricity to the region for years to come.”
The Dolna Odra Power Plant plays a key role in the Polish National Power System as the only system producer for the northwestern region of Poland. The new power plant expansion has been awarded a 17-year contract in the main power market auction, which will begin in 2024.
The GE- led consortium includes the Polish company Polimex Mostostal, which has been awarded the contract for the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) of the new units, together with full underground infrastructure. GE factories in Elblag and Wroclaw in Poland will also produce equipment for the project.
