A shareholder in PGE Elektrownia Bełchatów S.A., PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna S.A. voted for the continuation of work on the development of the CCS project as an important research and development undertaking. The planned CCS plant is to be integrated with a new 858 MW power unit, currently under construction. Carbon dioxide resulting from the combustion of the fuel (lignite) will be captured in the CCS plant and subsequently transported to underground storage locations.
The Management Board of PGE is of the opinion that this innovative, world-scale, power engineering project will be beneficial for environmental protection thanks to a considerable reduction of CO2 emissions. It is also a significant pro-ecological project of the Polish government, and PGE Bełchatów Power Plant has been selected by the European Union to implement a demonstration CCS plant.
Together with six other European projects, the Bełchatów CCS project has been accepted for a programme implemented within the framework of the European Economic Plan for Recovery (EEPR). Selected for EEPR, the Bełchatów CCS project will receive subsidies from EU funds.
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Additional information:
PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna is the largest power engineering company in Poland and one of the largest such companies in Central and Eastern Europe. Thanks to the combination of its own fuel (lignite) resources, power generation and final distribution networks, PGE guarantees a safe and reliable power supply to 5 million households, businesses and institutions. The company's net power generation amounts to about 56 TWh, which constitutes 42% of the national electricity output. The installed capacity equals 12.4 GW.
The PGE Capital Group has operated under its current structure since 2007. The PGE Capital Group's major areas of activity comprise the mining of lignite and generation of heat and electricity from conventional sources, the wholesale trade of electricity and related products, the retail sales of electricity and heat, the distribution of electricity as well as the generation of electricity from renewable sources.
Since 6 November 2009 PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna S.A. has been one of the largest companies listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange.
PGE Elektrownia Bełchatów is the largest power plant in Poland and the largest conventional lignite-fired power plant in Europe. The capacity of the operated power generation units amounts to 4450 MW, which constitutes 15% of the installed capacity of Poland's commercial power generation industry.
The power plant's average yearly generation output equals 27-28 TWh, or 20% of the total national power generation. PGE Elektrownia Bełchatów S.A. generates electricity at the most competitive prices.