"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children." Pioneer of Ecology – Lester R. Brown.
Everybody who identifies with the above quoted works of the American ecologist knows how much there is to be done and how much can be done for the natural environment in order to make it possible for our grandchildren to cherish its flawless beauty.
Our Power Plant employees are well aware of it as well because the integrated management system in PKE SA Jaworzno III Power Plant has been used since 2000.
As part of the continuous improvement, the environmental system was implemented in both power plants – Power Plant II and Power Plant III in line with the Regulation no Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2009 on the voluntary participation by organizations in a Community eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS).
After positive verification of the system which took place in May, 2010 and after the acceptance of the motion, on October 18, 2010, PKE SA Jaworzno III Power Plant was entered in the national EMAS register by the Director- General for Environmental Protection with number PL 2.24 - 009 – 22 and since then has been authorized to use EMAS logo.
What is EMAS?
EMAS is a legally sanctioned program of the European Union propagating the idea of voluntary obligations in the area of natural environment protection made by organizations which systematically identify and address environmental issues and which recognize their impact on the environment, develop and carry out action plans aimed at negative impact reduction.
EMAS must be based on a functioning environmental system, in line with norm PN-EN ISO 14001. In case of our company it was not a complicated issue as we have had the environmental system for 10 years.
Nonetheless, EMAS requires more than ISO 14001. It broadens the requirements of environmental management system, based on this norm, adding the below listed elements:
- proving continuous improvement concerning the organization pro-ecological activities;
- proving full conformity with all European Union and national environmental legislation that is applicable to them;
- making the employees part of continuous improvement process as far as the organization environment al undertakings are considered;
- informing the public opinion and the interested parties about the environmental impact of the organization, its products and services and about the undertaken actions.
How are these requirements reflected in the everyday operations of Jaworzno III Power Plant?
In the recent years, pro-ecological activities of our Power Plant included, among others, construction and commissioning of the third flue gas desulphurizing installation line (currently the all flue gases from Power Plant III six power units are purified in the flue gas desulphurizing installation and emitted to the atmosphere though the cooling towers) and commissioning a modern slag settling tank (clarified water is fed back into the water circulation system and the reclaimed slag is forwarded for further commercial utilization.
In the forthcoming years, 2011 to 2015, six power units type OP-650k will be equipped with installations which will enable meeting the European standards with regard to nitrogen oxides emission. This undertaking will guarantee the reduction of NOx emission below 200 mg/Nm3.
Pursuant to the Ordinance of the Minister of Economy of December 19, 2005, Power Plant was obliged to generate part of the electrical energy from renewable fuels, the so-called ‘green energy’. In the light of the above, biomass co-firing was commenced – initially in Power Plant II and later after the completion of the investment project ‘Biomass Feed System to 200 MW Power Units’ Boilers’ biomass has also been co-fired in Power Plant III. Maximum efficiency of these installations equals 10 percent volumetric share of biomass in the fuel in Power Plant III and 30 percent share in case of Power Plant II.
Every single plant employee can contribute to the reduction of the negative impact on the environment by, for example, maintaining order, proper waste segregation or supervision over the companies contracted by the plant with regard to how they manage their waste. Each worker can have his or her share in the improvement of the system functioning by filling in a relevant form once the person identifies the place in need of change of improvement. In order to facilitate submitting the motions, there are boxes with the forms ready to be filled in located near the entrance to Building C (Power Plant III) and Building L (Power Plant II).
Environmental Statement was drawn up within the framework of EMAS. The document is publicly available in order to inform the public opinion and the interested parties about the Power plant impact on natural environment and the undertaken pro-ecological actions. So as to increase the number of readers we made the Statement accessible in two language versions: Polish and English. Meeting the requirements, we submitted the statement to relevant authorities in Jaworzno and neighboring cities, to power plants and CHPs as well as companies cooperating with Jaworzno III Power Plant. Our employees can easily access the statement in technical services buildings of both power plants.
We are obliged to update and verify the environmental statement on annual basis providing indexes from the previous year so as to confirm our pro-environmental activities.
I do hope you will support all our actions resulting from the EMAS requirement so that we can use its logo in good conscience. We are the ninth company in the Silesia and twenty second in the country to take pride in belonging to the system as it is our wish to be perceived as a pro-ecological company which looks after the natural environment.
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