Natural environment

Environmental issues

Segment of System Power Plants

Pursuant to the IED directive, since 1 January 2016, stricter pollutant emissions standards have been in force. Extending their validity is guaranteed by the derogatory mechanism foreseen in the directive in the form of the Transitional National Plan (TNP), in force in the period from 1 January 2016 to 30 June 2020,

during the participation in TNP keeping annual mass limits for pollutants reported for derogation by the installation operators (specified for individual installations in the regulation J.L. 2015 item 1138) are in force, and also emission standards are in force as at 31 December 2015. According to the principles of TNP operation it is possible to jointly account for the limits allocated within the Group. In Enea Group, Kozienice Power Plant accounts for SO₂ and dust limits together with Białystok Heat and Power Plant.

The Power Plant joined TNP due to the risk of an untimely commissioning of IOS IV, and Białystok Heat and Power Plant due to the lack of flue gas desulphurisation plant and denitrification plant. Kozienice Power Plant avails itself of the Accession Treaty derogation as regards the NOx emission standard (in force until 31 December 2017). In order to reduce nitric oxides emissions, a gradual construction of the installation of the catalytic denitrogenation of flue gases - SCR - has been performed since 2013 in Kozienice Power Plant. In 2016, units No. 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7 were equipped with SCR installations. In 2017 it is planned to install SCR for units 4, 8 and 9, and in 2018 - for unit 10.

Desulphurisation of all flue gases using IOS I-IV installations (IOS IV was commissioned at the end of 2015) is the guarantee of keeping the mass limit of pollutant emissions foreseen in TNP and keeping emission standards resulting from IED directives. Relevant exploitation of the installed electrostatic precipitators, and also their gradual replacement with new ones, highly efficient units with the second stage of dust removal guaranteed by the used flue gas desulphurisation installations ensure satisfaction of the dust emission standards in force in 2016. In 2017 the replacement of the electrostatic precipitator of unit No. 9 is planned.

Pollutant concentration in Kozienice Power Plant in 2016

• SO_x lower by 71% than the acceptable concentration
• NO_x lower by 23% than the acceptable concentration
• Dust lower by 83% than the acceptable concentration

The implemented investment activities in order to reconcile to the requirements of the Directive No. 2010/75/UE regarding industrial emissions (IED) – Kozienice Power Plant

Within the requirements specified by the IED directive, and also BAT conclusions planned for implementation (cBat) - Enea Wytwarzanie has been realising, consistently for several years, the specified schedule of adaptation investment activities.

In 2016 the following occurred in Kozienice Power Plant:

• a concept of adjustment of Enea Wytwarzanie sp. z o.o. to the requirements of BAT conclusions was prepared
• a comprehensive programme of adjusting Enea Wytwarzanie sp z o.o. was launched  Segment of System Power Plants as regards the adjustments to the requirements of BAT conclusions - realisation time is 2017-2021
• an installation of the catalytic denitrogenation of flue gases (SCR) was installed on 3x 200 MW units No. 1, 4 and 5 (with concentrations below 100 mg/Nm3), so that to significantly reduce nitric oxide

During 2017-2018 the construction of installations on the other three units is planned: No. 8 (200 MW) and two 500 MW units (No. 9 and 10).

Installation until 2018, of the SCR plant, and also currently used IOS installations, provide the Company with a possibility of satisfying the requirements of IED directive and future cBAT.

Transitional National Plan

More rigorous emission standards, introduced with IED directive, may be postponed in time by using TNP derogation mentioned in Article 32 of IED directive (implementation to the Polish law through Article 146c of the Environmental Protection Law J. L. 2001 No. 62 item 627, as amended). Kozienice Power Plant and Białystok Heat and Power Plant reported their participation in TNP as regards the following emissions: SO2, dust – Kozienice Power Plant and SO2, dust and NOx – Białystok Heat and Power Plant.

Departure from the emission standards for sources covered with TNP is valid from 1 January 2016 to 30 June 2020, which means that the standards as at 31 December 2015 are in force in that period (for Kozienice Power Plant: dust - 50 mg/Nm3, SO2 - 1,200 mg/Nm3 for five 200 MW units and 400 mg/Nm3 for the other units). Pursuant to the Environmental Protection Law, the Minister of Environment issued the regulation of 21 July 2015 relating to the requirements important for the implementation of the Transitional National Plan (J.L. 2015 item 1138), which for sources covered with TNP specifies mass limits of substances for 2016 - 2019 and for H1 2020 (the table below). Kozienice Power Plant and Białystok Heat and Power Plant account jointly for the emissions of pollutants reported to TNP within the allocated limits.

Information on the utilisation in 2016 of pollutant emissions thresholds reported to TNP:

Emission for the needs of TNP (calculated in accordance with the executive decision of the Commission of 10 February 2012, establishing the regulations relating to the transitional national plans mentioned in the directive of the European Parliament and Council 2010/75/UE regarding industrial emissions (2012/115/EU)) does not constitute any basis for calculating fees for the economic use of the environment.

Segment of Heat

Enea Wytwarzanie in the segment of Heat (Białystok Heat and Power Plant) has implemented the following investments until now which affect the volume of emissions:

• conversion of coal-fired OP-140 boiler No. 5 to biomass fluidised bed OFB-105
• conversion of coal-fired OP-140 boiler No. 6 to biomass fluidised bed OFB-105
• SNCR installation of flue gases denitrification on OFB-105 boilers No. 5 and 6
• SCR installation of flue gases denitrification on OP-230 boilers No. 7 and 8
• heat recovery system on K6 boiler

Currently, the flue gas desulphurisation plant is being installed for OP-230 boilers No. 7 and 8 - date of completion 2017.

The implemented investment activities in order to reconcile to the requirements of the Directive No. 2010/75/EU regarding industrial emissions (IED) – Białystok Heat and Power Plant

Issues relating to the area of Mining - LW Bogdanka:

Protection of atmospheric air

• LW Bogdanka SA does not hold any organised emission source emitting dusts and gases to the atmosphere
• The mining waste neutralisation plant in Bogdanka is a non-organised source which may emit dusts on dry and windy days
• Non-organised emission to the air comes from firing fuels in combustion engines used in the company and welding processes

Water and waste water management relates mainly to underground water, including:

• draining of formations in the area of mining excavations
• controlled drainage of Jurassic layers
• economic use of water for fire protection and technological purposes
• pumping-up water to the surface
• economic use of underground water on the surface (Zakład Przeróbki Mechanicznej Węgla, Łęczyńska Energetyka sp. z o.o. - within Water Treatment Plant)
• underground water retention in reservoir-settling tank on the surface in order to reduce the suspension
• water drop from the reservoir through the system of discharging trenches and stream - Rów Żelazny to the Świnka River in the volume of ca. 14,623 m3/day
• underground water characterises with the total chlorides and sulphates in the amount of 1,035 mg/dm³

Waste management

• In 2016 the total revenue of mining waste amounted to 6,372,549 tonnes
• Approximately 45% of waste was recovered and managed. The waste recovery, i.e. use for land rehabilitation, road hardening, cement production in Cementownia “Ożarów” and other numerous goals amounted to 2,893,481 tonnes
• 98% of waste is used for the degraded land reclamation It consists in restoring lands to their original shape through filling post-sand excavations with mining waste and then covering them with a soil layer and development to rural or forest areas
• The other mining waste (3,479,068 tonnes) are dumped in the mining waste neutralisation plant in Bogdanka.
• LW Bogdanka SA performs the management of the other industrial waste and delegates waste which is fit for use (wood, used oil, scrap metal, conveyor belt cuts) or for neutralisation (used sources of light, packagings after adhesives, paints, etc.) to other authorised entities.

Land-reclamation work

• In 2016, no land-reclamation works were performed on post-industrial areas
• The maintenance of the organised green areas, of the mining waste neutralisation plant and post-industrial areas recultivated in previous years in the region of Bogdanka, Nadrybie and Stefanów Fields and railway facilities is performed on a continuous basis

Surface protection

• The impact of the mining exploitation in 2016 on the surface was visible, as so far, mainly in the form of increasing surface scope of the existing impacts
• In the region of Bogdanka and Nadrybie Wieś the maximum subsidence remains on the level of 5,00 m in the central part of the subsidence basin
• The damage in the buildings in 2016 - as so far - in most cases related to the rural developments, the reported damages in these buildings posed no danger to users and were removed on a continuous basis
• The costs of removing damage caused by the mining exploitation in 2016 amounted totally to ca. PLN 3.28 mln

Sanctions and fees faced by the Company due to environmental protection

• The mining operations entail the exploitation fee due to the use of the natural environment and a range of costs related to:
• post-mining waste management
• post-industrial land rehabilitation
• environmental monitoring
• development of surveys and documentation necessary for the plant operation
• The exploitation fee is paid every six months to the accounts of the municipalities the territory of which is exploited (60%) and for the National Fund of Environmental Protection and Water Management (40%). The licence fee constitutes also in 40% the income of the National Fund of Environmental Protection and Water Management and in 60% the income of mining municipalities.
• LW Bogdanka SA satisfies the standards within ecology and in 2016 did not pay any penalties for the breach of the conditions of using the natural environment specified in the laid down in the legal provisions in force.