Last dozen or so years have brought positive changes in the awareness of the society as far as the recognition of the need for natural environment protection is concerned. Simultaneously, industrial companies have undertaken a series of pro-ecological actions in order to reduce or totally eliminate their negative impact on the surrounding environment.
We can proudly state that Jaworzno III Power Plant belongs to a group of companies which are deeply involved in the process. This results from the consistent policy of our executives in which the matters regarding reduction of the plant’s negative impact on the environment are perceived as one of the most crucial ones. Our company mission is to generate cheap and ecologically clean electrical energy. Pro-ecological action plan formulated based on the mission statement stipulates achievement of the maximum positive ecological effects with minimal investment costs and keeping low electrical energy generation costs. We also aim at winning social acceptance for the activities we have undertaken.
When in 1990, the Minister of the Environmental Protection, Natural Resources and Forestry issued a regulation on the protection of the atmosphere against pollution, the lack of any installation purifying the flue gases from gaseous pollutants made our power plant incapable of meeting emission norms defined in the above mentioned regulation. The same year the power plant, located in the area of ecological disaster and emitting significant volumes of pollutants, was listed as one of the eighty companies most offensive for the natural environment in the national scale. New national ecological policy faced our company with difficult tasks and us with the eternal dilemma ‘to be or not to be’. To be able to conform to the norms in force the company would have had to resign from firing coal with high sulphur content extracted in Jaworzno coal mines. Dark clouds begun to gather over Jaworzno mining industry. We had to choose a solution that would lead us into the 21st century. Therefore we had to combine social conditions the plant in operation and the environment protection into one coherent whole.
Undertaking pro-ecological actions was not solely a matter of prestige. In addition, for the first time in post-war Poland it was the economy that dictated conditions in the field of environment protection. And in this case the accounts are ruthlessly clear and we instantly realized that investing into ecology was necessary. We achieved really a lot throughout several years. Chronologically one needs to list:
- 1990 – mechanical and chemical wastewater treatment plant was put into operations;
- from 1990 to 1994 - replacement of the internal part of the electrostatic precipitators for power units no 1,2,3,4,6;
- from 1992 to 1994 ash dry pick-up installation was commissioned: in 1992 installations for power units no 1, 2, 3, 6, and in 1994 for power units 4 and 5;
- 1994 – hydrochloric acid tanks were constructed near the water demineralization plant;
- 1996 – flue gas desulphurizing installation was commissioned composed of two wet FG treatment lines for the gases from four boilers;
- from 1995 to 1998 assembly of low NOx emission burners: boilers no 1 and 2 - 1995 - boilers no 4 and 6 – 1996; boiler no 5 - 1997; boiler no 6 - 1998;
- from 1995 to 1998 construction of the buffer gypsum and ash storage yard;
- 1996 – assembly of the gauging system to measure emissions on the emitters;
- 1998 – completion of the power unit no 5 electrostatic precipitator modernization – this guaranteed the dust concentration on the outlet amounting to 80 mg/Nm3;
- 2000 - completion of the power unit no 2 electrostatic precipitator modernization – this guaranteed the dust concentration on the outlet amounting to 80 mg/Nm3;
- 2001 - completion of the power unit no 1 electrostatic precipitator modernization – this guaranteed the dust concentration on the outlet amounting to 80 mg/Nm3;
- 2002 - completion of the power unit no 4 electrostatic precipitator modernization – this guaranteed the dust concentration on the outlet amounting to 80 mg/Nm3;
- 2002 - completion of the power unit no 6 electrostatic precipitator modernization – this guaranteed the dust concentration on the outlet amounting to 80 mg/Nm3;
- 2004 - completion of the power unit no 3 electrostatic precipitator modernization – this guaranteed the dust concentration on the outlet amounting to 80 mg/Nm3;
- 2008 – commissioning of the flue gas desulphurizing installation for two remaining power units, slag settling tank was put into operations eliminating the Reed to store this waste in the environment.
Restructuring processes in Jaworzno III Power Plant were commenced very early because it took place already in 1989. The construction of market economy forced a series of changed in the organization. From the technical point of view, Jaworzno III Power Plant restructuring included, above all, the plan developed in 1990 called ‘Natural Environment Threats Elimination Plan’. It was quite early recognized that the existence of the plant lied in solving ecology-related problems. This resulted in the commencement of multiple pro-ecological investments. Construction of the flue gas desulphurizing installation was the crowning achievement of many years’ efforts and long-term undertakings which in the end made the power plant a company meeting all environmental requirements of the European Union. 1996 marked end of the basic period of investing into ecology. Execution of the effective modernization program for basic generation facilities of Power Plant III, that is turbines and generators, was commenced in 1997. The program was executed from 1997 to 2003. As a result the power plant is ready for the next 15 to 20 years of operation and generation of cheap and clean energy.
The second stage was commenced in 1995 when Jaworzno III Power Plant and Jaworzno Power Plant Complex were joined to establish a company wholly owned by the State Treasury. The restructuring program encompassed the below listed undertakings:
- taking over the heating of the city by Power Plant II (construction of the heat pipeline Power Plant I - Power Plant II );
- modernization of the heat generating Power Plant II;
- Power Plant I liquidation by complete demolition.
As early as in 1996, the first heat supply main was constructed enabling Power Plant II to take over those heat consumers who used to be supplied from the previous heat source in Power Plant I. Large-scale Power Plant II modernization was simultaneously being carried out. Two circulating fluidized-bed boilers of the efficiency amounting to 260 tons of steam per hour replaced three shutdown old boilers. In 1998, two heating/condensing turbine sets of the capacity 70 MWe and 115 MWt each were commissioned. This enabled the shutdown of Power Plant I. this unprecedented fact in the Polish Power engineering history took place on April 17, 1998. In order to ensure that the executed pro-ecological program, program verifications and assessments are effective they need to be carried out within the framework of an ordered management system. This laid the grounds of the decision to implement the Integrated Management System and Environmental Management System in accordance with the ISO 9002 and ISO 14001 standards. In January 2001 we were granted the certificate confirming the implementation and application of the system.
Our pro-ecological undertakings are characterized by complexity and natural coherence. It means that all components of the natural environment are protected simultaneously, and burden decrease in one area does not evoke burden increase in another. As a result of the consistent policy assumed by the company executives, in September 2000, the Chief Inspector of Environmental Protection crossed Jaworzno III Power Plant out from the 80 List.
Jaworzno III Power Plant – Power Plant III Location
Power Plant III is located on the upland area of the city western part in the industrial district, near the border with the city of Mysłowice. From the administrative point of view, the plant is situated within the borders of the municipality of Jaworzno with the district rights in the Silesian Voivodeship. Jaworzno is located on the area of Jaworzno Hills – between Przemsza and Biała Przemsza rivers circa 6 km from Jaworzno III Power Plant. The city is located in the area of Mysłowice valley, a part of the Silesia-Krakow Upland subdistrict and the macro-region of the Silesia Upland.
The city area is located in the Wisła River basin, in the catchment basin of Biała Przemsza River which marks the northern border of the city and Przemsza River bordering the city in the southern west. In the direct neighborhood of the power plant there are forest lands with transportation routes and facilities (including roads and railways). There are also waste yards, settling tanks and areas classified as industrial wasteland located in the area. The below listed forest communities are within the Power Plant impact:
- sub-oceanic fresh coniferous forest,
- midland moist coniferous forest,
which take up circa half of the forest land area under the potential impact of the power plant.
Long-term research carried out around the power plant by independent scientific institutions unequivocally indicates that the impact of Power Plant III on such environment elements as surface water, groundwater, noise or radiological risk is inconsiderable.
Low NOx Emission System
In order to reduce nitrogen oxides emission to the atmosphere a primary method was applied consisting in the utilization of low-emission burners in all six OP-650 boilers delivered and optimized by a Finnish company IVO Power Engineering. The achieved NOx emission levels ranged from 260 to 400 mg/m3, Hus reducing the emission volume from each boiler by 113 - 224 kg/h respectively. Low NOx emission system (SNE-NOX) was successively implemented in Jaworzno III Power Plant from 1995 to 1998:
- boilers no 1 and 2 - 1995;
- boilers no 4 and 6 - 1996;
- boiler no 5 - 1997;
- boiler no 3 - 1998.
Low NOx emission system underwent general modernization in 2011. Flue gas denitriding installation will be based on a mixed method combining the primary method (low-emission burners) with a selective non-catalytic reduction method (SNCR). The installation will be commissioned in the following stages and dates: stage I – assembly of the installation part common for all six boilers (reagent unloading and storage station) and assembly of OP-650k boiler no 2 (July 2011), stage II – assembly of the installation for OP-650k boiler no 4 and connection to the part of installation common for all six power units (July 2012), stage III - assembly of the installation for OP-650k boiler no 6 and connection to the part of installation common for all six power units (July 2013), stage IV – assembly of the installation for OP-650k boiler no 3 and connection to the part of installation common for all six power units (July 2014), stage V - assembly of the installation for OP-650k boiler no 1 and connection to the part of installation common for all six power units (July 2015), stage VI - assembly of the installation for OP-650k boiler no 5 and connection to the part of installation common for all six power units (January 2016).
Method of NOx emission reduction from OP-650 boilers will consist of the below listed technological elements:
- New type tilt-low emission burners – NR3,
- Two-stage OFA nozzles system.
- Condensed reagent – urea - (RRI) injection system which will be operated only when the mills supplying Upper burner rows are in operations with the boiler load amounting to 80-100%.
- Protection against corrosion system of the back and side walls of the boiler.
OP-650k boilers flue gas denitriding installation will consist of:
- Urea solution unloading and storage unit common for all OP-650k boilers in power units no 1, no 2, no 3, no 4, no 5 and no 6.
- Urea solution transport installation to the boiler house.
- Reagent treatment and injection unit.
Modernization of Power Units
Power units’ modernization insists mainly in the modernization of turbines timing at the generation efficiency increase and capacity increase which will result in CO2 emission index reduction. Commissioning of particular power units after the modernization repair was carried out in accordance with the below presented schedule:
29.10.1996 – commissioning of power unit no 6 after the modernization repair. Power unit capacity 225 MW.
02.10.1997 - commissioning of power unit no 5 after the modernization repair. Power unit capacity 220 MW.
21.11.1998 - commissioning of power unit no 4 after the modernization repair. Power unit capacity 225 MW.
04.11.1999 - commissioning of power unit no 3 after the modernization repair. Power unit capacity 225 MW.
26.10.2000 - commissioning of power unit no 2 after the modernization repair. Power unit capacity 225 MW.
13.11.2001 - commissioning of power unit no 1 after the modernization repair. Power unit capacity 225 MW.
Flue Gas Desulphurizing Installation
Flue gas desulphurizing installation applying the wet limestone/gypsum method has been in operation in Power Plant III since 1996. The wet method of flue gas desulphurizing is the only method applicable for the conventional pulverized coal boilers firing hard coal ensuring such a significant reduction of sulphur dioxide (i.e. at least 80-90%). Construction of the two lines of flue gas desulphurizing installation for power units no 1 and 2 and power units no 5 and 6 was initiated in 1992 and completed in 1996. Consortium STEINMÜLLER – RAFAKO supplied the technology and constructed the installation. Official commissioning of the installation too place in September 1996.
Flue gases from four out of six power units were desulphurized until June 2008. In July 2007 the corner stone for the erection of the flue gas desulphurizing installation was build. On July 18, 2008 a month-long test run of the installation was completed and on July 24, 2008 there was official commissioning of the installation. The installation of the efficiency amounting to 2 million Nm3/h desulphurizing efficiency equaling over 95 percent was erected in the same technology as two previous lines with the application of the existing infrastructure.
Currently, the flue gas desulphurizing installation purifies flue gases from all power units making use of three independent technological absorption trains: no 1 for power units no 1 and 2, no 2 for power units no 5 and 6, no 3 for power units no 3 and 4.
For more information on the applied sulphur dioxide reduction technology go to Menu – Technology – Flue Gas Desulphurizing Installation.
Biomass Co-firing
Biomass feed system to 200 MW Power unit boilers is located opposite the coal storage site in Power Plant III. It consists of a concrete yard of the area circa 4,000 square meters with a retaining wall and of a top-loading silo, sieve machine and biomass feeder onto the belt conveyors equipped with four tensometric scales legalized by the Central Office of Measures and five samplers certified by the State Mining Authority. The entire coal and biomass feed system is visualized.
By virtue of the Energy Regulatory Office Chairman decision, Power Plant III was granted a license for the co-firing of the following biomass types: forest biomass – coniferous and deciduous wood and their mixture (in the form of silvers, sawdust, pellets, briquettes and in the form of loose biomass) from energy crops and wastes as well as the remains from the agricultural production as well as the wastes and remains from the industry processing agricultural products. Maximum weight biomass share in the general fuel stream can amount to 10 percent.
CO2 Emission Volume Monitoring
Since 2005, Jaworzno III Power Plant has participated in the Emission Trading Scheme as far as carbon dioxide emission is concerned. Such an obligation was introduced by virtue of the act of December 22, 2004 on the on trade in air emission allowances of greenhouse gasses and other substances. Pursuant to the act, the Minister of Environment issued a regulation on the way of monitoring of emission volumes of the substances covered by the Community Emission Trading Scheme.
This regulation explicitly defines the manner how to measure and calculate emission in order to draw up the annual carbon dioxide emission report correctly. Such report is verified by independent and authorized verifiers. Annual report verification is carried out separately for Power Plant II and Power Plant III. No inconsistencies have ever been reported regarding the annual reports. The verified reports are compliant with the actual state and the monitoring system implemented in PKE SA Power Plant III is in line with the Monitoring Plan constituting the Addendum to the Decision of the Silesian Voivodeship Marshal in Katowice granting permit to participate in the trade in air emission allowances of greenhouse gasses.
Monitoring
Jaworzno III Power Plant is obliged to:
execute continuous measurements of the pollutant emission into the atmosphere;
execute periodic measurements of the emission of pollutants introduced with wastewater to groundwater;
execute periodic measurements of noise levels on the border of areas under protection;
execute measurements of the intake water volume;
keep a record of volume and quality of the raw materials consumed;
keep a record of technological processes;
keep a record of the produced wastes and waste management.
Post-process waste storage sites require execution of test regarding:
- impact on the quality of groundwater and surface water;
- a record of temporarily (emergency) stored waste.
All power plant boilers and emitters belonging to the company were equipped with facilities to continuously gauge the dust, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and carbon oxide emission. Gauging of these volumes enables not only the detailed determination of the emitted pollutants levels but it also minimizes the negative impact of the boiler operation on the natural environment.
Power Plant II
For many years Power Plant II was associated by the Jaworzno inhabitants with three smoking stacks. However, in the recent years the plant has considerable changed its image. Complex modernization executed led to the creation of a modern and ecological company which generates heat in which the electrical energy and heat are co-generated in an economical manner minimizing at the same time negative impact of the plant on the natural environment.
Jaworzno III Power Plant – Power Plant II Location
Power Plant II is located circa 3 km west of Jaworzno city center. The nearest housing development is situated in the direct neighborhood of the plant site. These are the housing complexes called – Osiedle Administracyjne and Osiedle Awaryjne. There is also one housing complex located in the northern west called Osiedle Stałe. Forests and groves are in the closest vicinity of the plant yet the land surrounding the power plants has been significantly altered. There are communication routes in the form of roads and railways, landfill sites, industrial wastelands, areas subject to mining exploitation.
Fluidized-bed boiler
Combustion In fluidized-bed boilers Has many advantages over the process present in pulverized coal boilers:
- capability of using sludge from the coal treatment plant as fuel;
- easy fuel treatment process and easy fuel feed to the combustion chamber;
- significant reduction of SO2 emission by introducing chemical compounds to the bed that bind sulphur;
- low emission of nitrogen dioxide due to low furnace temperature (optimum temperature 850oC ± 500C) and staged combustion;
- low emission of hydrocarbons;
- very good heat exchange index in the combustion chamber;
- high combustion efficiency due to turbulent mixing and long time of the particle presence in the circulating bed;
- capability of industrial utilization of the combustion wastes generated in the boilers;
- combustion temperature does not exceed the flaccidity temperature of the ash contained in the fuel causing little soiling of the boiler.
The emission level guaranteed by the manufacturer of the fluidized-bed boiler amount to:
- dust - 50 mg/Nm3
- nitrogen oxides - 470 mg/Nm3
- sulphur dioxide - 560 mg/Nm3
Ecological effects reached by means of Power Plant II modernization are presented below:
- sulphur dioxide emission reduction due to combustion process in the fluidized-bed boiler with the addition of limestone used as a sulphur binding sorbent;
- low emission of nitrogen dioxide from the fluidized-bed boilers achieved due the furnace temperature below 900 oC and staged combustion;
- fuel consumption reduction per production unit due to the co-generation method;
- shutdown of Power Plant I which had very negative impact on the natural environment after the construction of heating/condensing turbine no 2 and taking over all heat consumers supplied previously by Power Plant I.
Biomass feed system to fluidized-bed boilers was commissioned in Power Plant II in 2006. From the ecological point of view and particularly taking into account the company’s participation in the emission trade scheme, replacing part of the fossil fuels with biomass causes CO2 emission reduction.
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