Zabrze power station
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| This article is part of the Global Bioenergy Power Tracker, a Global Energy Monitor project. |
Zabrze power station is an operating power station of at least 75-megawatts (MW) in Zabrze, Śląskie, Poland with multiple units, some of which are not currently operating.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Zabrze power station | Zabrze, Zabrze, Śląskie, Poland | 50.324928, 18.785719 (exact) |
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Phase I: 50.324928, 18.785719
- Phase II: 50.299796, 18.811544
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | CHP | Start year | Retired year | Emergency/Backup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase I | Retired | coal: bituminous[1] | 33 | subcritical | yes | 1976 | 2019 | no |
| Phase II | Operating | coal: bituminous, bioenergy: refuse (municipal and industrial wastes)[1] | 75 | unknown | yes[2] | 2018 | 2027 (planned)[3] | no |
| Phase II, timepoint 2 | Pre-construction[2] | bioenergy: refuse (municipal and industrial wastes)[4] | 76.5[5] | unknown | yes[2] | 2027 (planned)[2] | – | no |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| Phase I | Fortum Power and Heat Polska SP zoo [100%] | Fortum Oyj [100.0%] |
| Phase II | Fortum Oyj [100%] | Fortum Oyj [100.0%] |
| Phase II, timepoint 2 | Fortum Oyj [100%] | Fortum Oyj [100.0%] |
Unit-level fuel conversion details:
Phase II: Conversion in pre-construction phase from coal to bioenergy in 2027.
Project-level coal details
- Coal source(s): domestic
Background
Fortum has proposed another 350-megawatt (MW) coal and biomass-fired plant in Zabreze. The plant will use 440,000 tonnes of hard coal a year, plus an additional 114,400 tonnes of lower quality coal. It will work 8,000 hours a year, and have an estimated emissions of 777,6 MG/year of SO2 and NOx and 16 MG/year of coal dust.[6]
In 2013 Fortum said it was suspending plans for the power station due to uncertainty over Poland's energy laws and the outlook for co-fired coal and biomass. Fortum said its final decision will be dependent on the level of state support for cogeneration projects in the final version of Poland’s draft renewable energy law.[7]
In March 2015 Fortum said it was pursuing plans for a new plant with production capacity of 220 MW, including 145 MW of heat and 75 MW of electricity. The new units will replace the existing plant, which was built in the 1950s. The new plant will primarily be fueled by refuse derived fuel and coal, but can also use biomass and a mixture of fuels. It is planned to start commercial operations by the end of 2018. The total value of the investment is approximately EUR 200 million (PLN 870 million).[8] Foster Wheeler has been contracted to design, supply, construct and commission the new circulating fluidized-bed (CFB) plant.[9]
Construction began in June 2016. On April 5, 2017, Fortum said the construction work is on schedule and the plant should be open by 2018.[10]
The plant went online in September 2018.[11]
In April 2022, Fortum announced that Czestochowa CHP power station and Zabrze power station would stop burning coal by 2035 as part of their efforts to decarbonize European assets.[12]
In March 2024, Fortum's Sustainability 2023 report stated that the company would exit coal-fired electricity generation by 2027.[13]
As of March 2026, an industrial park including a museum, hotel, and food court are planned for the site of the retired facility, with the facility itself remaining largely intact.[14]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://www.gem.wiki/Coal_source_methodology_for_the_Global_Coal_Plant_Tracker.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 https://www.fortum.pl/dekarbonizacja-elektrocieplowni-w-zabrzu.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://www.fortum.com/files/fortum-sustainability-2023/download?attachment.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://www.fortum.pl/o-fortum/nasza-dzialalnosc/elektrocieplownia-zabrze.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ "The Open Data Réseaux Énergies". 2025-09-30. Archived from the original on 2025-12-12. Retrieved 2025-12-05.
- ↑ IPPC permit, March 12, 2010.
- ↑ "Fortum suspends zł.2.5 billion in investments," Warsaw Business Journal, Jan 22, 2013.
- ↑ "Fortum to invest in a new combined heat and power plant in Zabrze, Poland," Fortum, 3/31/2015
- ↑ "Amec Foster Wheeler wins second CFB combined heat and power plant contract in Poland," Amec Foster Wheeler, July 27, 2015
- ↑ "Zabrze multifuel plant hits halfway mark early," Ends Waste and Bioenergy, 6 April 2017
- ↑ "Najnowocześniejsza elektrociepłownia Fortum w Europie oficjalnie otwarta," Fortum, September 20, 2018
- ↑ Śląskie: dwie elektrociepłownie kończą z węglem Slaski Biznes, April 22, 2022
- ↑ Sustainability 2023, Fortum, March 18, 2024
- ↑ "„Serce Śląska" znów zacznie bić. Grupa Arche podejmie się metamorfozy Elektrociepłowni Zabrze, która obejmie 13 obiektów poprzemysłowych - Architektura-Murator". architektura.muratorplus.pl. Retrieved 2026-07-17.
Additional data
To access additional data, including interactive maps of the power stations, downloadable datasets, and summary data, please visit the Global Bioenergy Power Tracker and the Global Coal Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
