Poznan Karolin power station

From Global Energy Monitor

Poznan Karolin power station is an operating power station of at least 313-megawatts (MW) in Poznań, Główna, Wielkopolskie, Poland with multiple units, some of which are not currently operating.

Location

Table 1: Project-level location details

Plant name Location Coordinates (WGS 84)
Poznan Karolin power station Poznań, Główna, Poznań, Wielkopolskie, Poland 52.436416, 16.988658 (exact)[1]
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Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):

  • GT, Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3: 52.436416, 16.988658

Project Details

Table 2: Unit-level details

Unit name Status Fuel(s) Capacity (MW) Technology CHP Start year Retired year
GT Construction[2][3][4] fossil gas: natural gas[5] 200[5] combined cycle[5] yes[5] 2026 (planned)[3]
Unit 1 Operating coal: bituminous, bioenergy: wood & other biomass (solids), bioenergy: agricultural waste (solids) 63[6] subcritical yes 1985 2030 (planned)[7]
Unit 2 Operating coal: bituminous 125[6] subcritical yes 1991 2030 (planned)[7]
Unit 3 Operating coal: bituminous 125[6] subcritical yes 1998 2030 (planned)[7]

CHP is an abbreviation for Combined Heat and Power. It is a technology that produces electricity and thermal energy at high efficiencies. Coal units track this information in the Captive Use section when known.

Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details

Unit name Owner Parent
GT Veolia Energia Polska SA [100%][3] Veolia Environnement SA [100.0%]
Unit 1 Veolia Energia Polska SA [100%][3] Veolia Environnement SA [100.0%]
Unit 2 Veolia Energia Polska SA [100%][3] Veolia Environnement SA [100.0%]
Unit 3 Veolia Energia Polska SA [100%][3] Veolia Environnement SA [100.0%]

Ownership Tree

This ownership tree is part of the Global Energy Ownership Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.

Background

The Poznan Karolin power station is a cogeneration plant that was originally commissioned with a 55 MW unit in 1985, with two more units added in the 1990s as the electricity demand in the region increased. Operated by Dalkia Poznan ZEC SA, the plant provides electricity and heating to Poznan, Flamingo, Kozieglowy, and Swarzędz.[8]

In the early 2000s, one of the boilers was converted to a biomass-burner, converting 19.3% of the plant's fuel to a renewable source.[9] The cost of replacing the boiler in the Poznan Karolin plant was 70 million Euros; it was the first instance of a cogeneration plant boiler transitioning entirely to biomass in Poland.[10]

In 2020, the plant was awarded 20 industrial, modern, burners to continue reducing emissions and increasing energy efficiency.[11]

In November 2025, Veolia announced a two-phase modernization project for the Poznan district heating system centered on the Karolin cogeneration plant, aiming to completely eliminate coal from Poznan’s district heating network by 2030. Veolia stated that the first phase, involving a new high-efficiency cogeneration unit, would reduce CO₂ emissions by 25% (up to 260,000 tonnes per year) and increase overall efficiency to 92%. The company also noted that the project’s second phase would include additional decarbonization measures and the integration of recovered and renewable heat sources, including biomethane, hydrogen, heat recovery from data centers and wastewater, and geothermal energy.[12]

Articles and Resources

References

  1. "Relation: ‪Veolia Energia Poznań - oddział Elektrociepłownia Poznań Karolin EC-II‬ (‪17448376‬)". OpenStreetMap. 2024-04-09. Archived from the original on 2024-07-16. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
  2. https://energy.instrat.pl/system-elektroenergetyczny/. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 "Erbud za prawie 50 mln zł wybuduje nowe gazówki w Poznaniu". wnp.pl. Archived from the original on 2024-07-16. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
  4. https://cleanerenergy.pl/2024/05/07/veolia-environnement-konczy-kluczowa-inwestycje-w-polsce/. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 "Elektrociepłownia w Poznaniu zmienia paliwo na gaz. Do 2030 r. chce całkowicie wyeliminować węgiel". 2021-04-27. Archived from the original on 2024-07-16. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1fDJgoGoveHfpgnUnSDE3abTQzwa5BVvPgQXrLPr3pLI/edit?gid=8866035. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 https://www.veolia.com/en/our-media/press-releases/veolia-major-project-phase-out-coal-poland. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  8. "Dalkia Poznan Karolin CHP Power Plant Poland - GEO". globalenergyobservatory.org. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  9. "Cities of Łódź & Poznań - Poland". Veolia. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  10. "Veolia Energia Poznań – Wikipedia, wolna encyklopedia". pl.wikipedia.org (in polski). Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  11. "Modernization of Karolin Power Heating Plant | E&M Combustion". Quemadores industriales-gas-gasoil-biomasa-calderas. 2020-02-18. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  12. "Veolia unveils a major project to phase out coal in Poland to support European decarbonization and strengthen energy resilience in Poznań". veolia.com. 25 November 2025. Retrieved 22 January 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

Additional data

To access additional data, including interactive maps of the power stations, downloadable datasets, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker and the Global Oil and Gas Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.