Energy firm Fortum launches EUR 202 mln power plant in Zabrze

After a construction phase of almost two and a half years, energy firm Fortum opened a co-generation heat and power plant in the Silesian town of Zabrze (southern Poland) on Thursday. The investment cost PLN 870 million (EUR 202.6 million).

The facility will provide heat and electricity to over 70,000 homes in Zabrze and neighbouring Bytom.

During the ceremonial opening, representatives of the Scandinavian energy concern underscored that the innovative multi-fuel installation, which is able to run on coal, as well as alternative fuel and biomass, is one of the most important Fortum investments in the world, forming one of the calling cards of the Polish energy sector.

Fortum Group President and CEO Pekka Lundmark highlighted at Thursday's opening that the plant is the first of its type in Poland, a milestone for Fortum's presence in Silesia and a milestone for the energy sector in Silesia, in Poland and worldwide. He said it was a symbol of change and would be a key element of the modern heat and power infrastructure in Zabrze and Bytom for the next decade. He pointed out that Fortum has invested over EUR 600 million over the last 15 years and plans further enterprises.

The Fortum CEO went on to state that energy from the Zabrze plant would be cheaper and more environmentally friendly than from older technologies. Fortum experts calculate that thanks to the technology utilised at Zabrze, the emission of harmful particles will be 11 times lower, sulfur dioxide more than seven times lower and nitric oxide just one third of traditional technologies.