Tools
Thus, it actively participates in the implementation of climate policy objectives, including the reduction of CO2 emissions and the gradual phasing out of fossil fuels.
Most of the investments in conventional assets in recent years were aimed at reducing the environmental impact of these units, directly through the construction of desulphurization, denitrification and dust removal installations, and indirectly through modernizations that improve production efficiency. Ecology and ecological responsibility accompany the PGE Group throughout the entire supply chain.
The PGE Group is the largest producer of electricity and heat in Poland. It is also the largest producer of green energy in the country.
Dolna Odra Power Plant, located in a landscape park, has been hosting peregrine falcons for 16 years. The nest, situated at a height of 100 meters, is one of the oldest peregrine falcon breeding sites in Poland.
Peregrine falcons are one of the rarest species of birds of prey in Poland. They nest mainly on rock shelves, in the mountains, on cliffs or in forests. They do not build nests themselves, they use the nests of other large birds, especially those of prey – white-tailed eagles, ospreys, eagles, and black storks. They also eagerly occupy nests in colonies of herons and cormorants.
Even twenty years ago, there were hardly any peregrine falcons in Poland. They returned to the Polish sky, among others thanks to the involvement of PGE Group employees, who install platforms and houses for them at a height of 75 to 100 meters above the ground. At the chimneys of power plants and heat and power plants in Toruń, Gdynia, Lublin, Bełchatów, Gryfino and Gdańsk belonging to the PGE Group, there are currently as many as 6 nesting sites. 83 young ones have already flown from these nests into adult life, which is as much as 17.3 percent all young peregrine falcons born in Poland since 2000 (a total of 479 chicks hatched).
PGE, in cooperation with the Association for Wild Animals „Sokół” (Falcon), installed cameras in falcon nests. Thanks to this, the life of these predators can be watched on-line. It enjoys great popularity, the greatest in April and May, when the youngs hatch and then try their hand at the first flight. Only in May there were over 300 thousand entries to website with preview of nest located on PGE facilities in Toruń, Gdynia, Lublin.
PGE also takes special care of storks exposed to electric shock when in contact with power lines. For years, the company has been placing metal platforms on poles, above power lines, to which stork nests are transferred. However, these are not one-off actions. Power engineers, when storks fly south in search of warmer places, i.e. from mid-October to the end of February, renovate platforms, inspect nests and secure them. PGE Group employees have already installed nearly 25 500 such platforms, which almost completely reduce bird mortality. PGE also uses other forms of bird protection, including special scarers, platforms, flags and colored balls placed on the wires.
PGE Group protects many species of birds, not only falcons and storks. Dolna Odra Power Plant actively protects the shore swallows and kestrels that nest there. Swallows adapted to their habitats slopes, created as a result of ash-slag collection, and kestrels – power plant chimneys. The protection consists mainly in taking care of young birds, which often fall out of their nests during the first flights.
Restoration of the tree stand, improvement of air quality and groundwater condition, environmental education and shaping appropriate attitudes towards the natural environment, establishing good-neighborly relations with local communities, and finally, integration of employees … All these goals guide PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna in the implementation of the „Forests full of energy” program.
The planting of the forest was initiated by the employees of PGE Dystrybucja in 2000. They planted the first trees in the Zamość region. Shortly thereafter, the idea was instilled in the entire Capital Group. Every spring, usually in March and April – to celebrate Earth Day – employees of PGE Group companies and their families, supported by scouts, school youth and representatives of local communities, plant „Forests full of energy”. It takes place in areas indicated and prepared by foresters from the Regional Directorates of State Forests, who are partners of the action.
A total of several thousand people took part in 20 editions of the project. The youngest of them was only 1.8 years old! Only last year PGE Group has planted approx. 95 000 trees in 32 locations in 14 provinces.
However, in 2020, due to the threat of coronavirus and the sanitary regime introduced, the tree planting was replaced by activities aimed at protection of birds, animals and plants and the construction of photovoltaic panels in the Biebrza National Park. PGE took part in a project to save the approx. 80-year-old common maple growing near the headquarters of the Park management from logging. The tree requires surgical procedures and requires special ropes. Without them, it may endanger pedestrians and vehicles moving nearby. Treatments are expensive – PGE immediately launched a donation for their performance.
This is not the only activity of PGE for forests. Another group is undertaken in cooperation with befriended Regional Directorates of State Forests, after identifying their needs. In this way, the 20th edition of the „Forests full of energy” program will be implemented in stages.
