Poland hosts some of the industrial structures with the highest transmissions of the European Union, such as the famous center of Belchathath, which can produce up to 20% of the electricity that Poland needs to burn lignite coal. At the end of the last decades, with the adhesion of Poland to the European Union, various global modernization plans were launched in Belchatow.
“Since the beginning of the 90s, the center has reduced sulfur dioxide emissions by over 93%, those of nitrogen oxide in more than 66% and has eliminated 99% of dust emissions,” said Euronews Rafał Smejda, general manager of the Pgek Giek Sa Belchatow Euronews.
The works consisted in the construction of a new combustion unit, from the closure or replacement of old boilers, the renewal of electric filters and the installation of desolonment systems.
These changes were essential for the plant to maintain permission. The competent authorities of the 27 Member States must guarantee compliance with the standards of the industrial emissions directive (dei), the main EU tool to reduce pollution from large structures.
Turn on your shoulders
Despite these technical improvements, the Belchatow Central will gradually close in the coming years as part of the current energy transition in Poland.
Poland is reducing its dependence on coal, a specially polluting fuel. Some plants are already abandoning coal, such as the Zeran Central of Warsaw, whose new unit works with gas.
“In this transition period, we continue to need combustion structures. Poland has not yet had any nuclear power plant. We are not able to develop large -scale hydroelectric energy. Nor can we completely depend on the import of energy because Poland has one of the greatest urban heating networks in the EU.
Poland before the IED 2.0 directive
National data confirm the decrease in the main industrial pollutants, such as nitrogen oxides (NOX) and sulfur dioxide (SO₂), which can have serious effects on the environment and human health.
The transposition of the first European directive on the gods in 2016 meant, according to the Polish government, a 40% reduction in SO₂ emissions in the country.
“Subsequently we had to apply the conclusions of the best available techniques. And when the 2023 data are compared with those of the 2016 transmissions, which have already been reduced, for example, it can be seen that the emission of the dust has decreased by 80%,” adds Wisniewski.
“Now we are working intensely to transpose the gods 2.0 to national legislation, because it will undoubtedly mean a greater reduction in emissions,” he says.
The European Union has just examined its IED directive, with the aim of further reducing the levels of industrial pollutants in the air, water and soil and accelerate the transition to a more innovative, clean and circular industry.
According to Marcin Wisniewski, this means that the poles “will also have to work to increase innovation in the sector, offering incentives to operators to transform themselves into a circular and climatic economy”.
According to the European Environment Agency (AEMA), the cost of air pollution in 2021 the equivalent of about 2% of the EU GDP, i.e. several hundred billion euros.
Also so, according to the Aema, one percent of the most polluting industrial structures in Europe – many coal plants – has caused half of these costs.
