Circular Economy

Circular economy

The idea of reusing combustion by-products has been around the energy sector for over 20 years. Years of experience with the increasing use of coal combustion by-products have allowed us to gather a lot of knowledge about anthropogenic minerals produced at PGE Energia Ciepła and at PGE GiEK. Cement and concrete producers, ceramics producers, mining and road companies are currently enjoying significant benefits through the use of proven and safe solutions.

Products created using the technology of using by-products of combustion meet all the requirements that must be met by building materials or products. UPSs have also been used in the reclamation and macro-leveling of post-industrial and degraded areas, restoring the former landscape and natural values to many areas.

Combustion by-products are valuable raw materials widely used in various industries, most commonly in the construction sector. One of such substances is synthetic gypsum, which is the final product of the flue gas desulfurization process using the wet lime method, qualified for the best available technology (BAT).

Synthetic gypsum is made in the flue-gas desulfurization process in wet limestone-gypsum technology in the PGE GIEK power plants

Anthropogenic minerals produced in the PGE Group, used as raw materials for production, are constantly controlled, i.e. are subjected to a series of tests allowing production – this guarantees the quality and safety of use. The process of using anthropogenic minerals in construction is supervised by Instytut Techniki Budowlanej. The products have also been registered in the international REACH system.

As part of registration, by-products of combustion were subjected to comprehensive toxicological, ecotoxicological and mutagenic tests in accordance with the requirements set out by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). The tests were carried out in laboratories with the highest world standard and unquestionable credibility. The test results clearly confirmed that they are safe substances that do not pose a threat to humans, animals or the environment. Their use need not be restricted in any way because of their environmental impact.

The market for by-products of combustion

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Source: PGE Energia Ciepła.

The processing of combustion by-products contributes to the creation of a waste-free industry. It also reduces the use of natural resources and decreases the amount of waste stored. The implementation of a closed-loop economy at the PGE Group allows for an increase in the amount of waste used as part of recovery and recycling and is contributing to the Group’s sustainable development. The economic use of energy waste is in line with the European Union strategy recommending priority, for the use of secondary raw materials, where, in accordance with Article 4 of Directive 2008/98 / EC, hierarchical management of waste is recommended using the order of priority in the law. By using the produced anthropogenic minerals, the consumption of natural resources is reduced and the negative effects of ash deposition at landfills are reduced. The use of secondary raw materials such as by-products of combustion gives a favorable CO2 balance and reduces environmental degradation.

By-products of combustion in the circular economy

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Source: PGE Energia Ciepła

Thermal Waste Processing Installation processes up to 100,000 tons of mixed municipal waste and non-hazardous waste a year. This allows the production of energy from waste and its transfer in the form of electricity and network heat to consumers.

Therefore, Thermal Waste Processing Installation realizes the assumptions of the circular economy by limiting the consumption of fossil raw materials, reducing the amount of waste stored and recovering energy from them.

In 2019, we signed a letter of intent for the construction of the second line, which will increase waste processing to 180,000 tons per year.

A way to implement the idea of circular economy is also the construction of an Thermal Waste Processing Installation with Energy Recovery at the PGE EC heat and power plant in Rzeszów.

The installation for thermal waste recycling processing in Rzeszów was built with the use of safe technology commonly used in Europe.

One of the elements of the management strategy of PGE Energia Ciepła is the widest possible reuse of produced anthropogenic minerals and noble elements.

The BAT compliance program consists of a number of projects, including one project derived from a research and development project, i.e. the implementation of heavy metal capture technology in InnUPS technology.

Among the stricter requirements for the removal of nitrogen oxides and sulfur, requirements have been introduced for waste water parameters from wet flue gas desulfurization installations. The concentration of metals and metalloids in wastewater is one of the key parameters. Between 2013 and 2016, PGE Energia Ciepła developed a technology for wastewater treatment from wet flue gas desulfphurisation installations. The project was implemented as part of the GEKON program financed by the National Center for Research and Development and the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management. The developed technology is based on a system of columns containing ion exchange resins dedicated to the removal of metals and metalloids. Recovered noble metals can be reused in industry.

The implementation of InnUPS technology is planned in four locations: in Gdynia, Gdańsk, Wrocław and Kraków.

Site work is underway in Gdynia, and its completion is planned for October 2020. Commissioning of the installations at the other three locations is planned for July 2021.

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The PGE Group ensures that the principles of circular economy are applied to the widest possible extent in water and wastewater management.

Depending on the size of the plant, and source and composition of raw water, various techniques are used to prepare water: lime decarbonisation, filtration, ion exchange, ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, and electrodeionization. In each case, the complete water preparation sequence consists of a combination of several of the techniques listed above, which allows the preparation of water of appropriate (often better than collected) quality for individual water and water-steam circuits, and waste products from such treatment processes are still used in other, less demanding cycles. Sources for the production of process water are both surface and underground waters, and sometimes also water from municipal water supply networks. At each stage of water preparation, special attention is paid to its rational use and very large part of the waste water generated during water preparation is recycled back to processes e.g. washings from filters, water recovered from sub-carbonization sludge, concentrates from reverse osmosis or electrodialysis processes, and regenerated brines from the softening process.

Closing the water cycle in production processes involves diverting used water for purification and returning it to production processes again.

Also, sewage generated in other installations, if its composition allows, is recycled to the process, e.g.:

the rule is to turn back hot waste water as a source for the water preparation process,
in many cases, rainwater or drainage water is reused to produce process water,
part of the social and domestic sewage, after treatment, is used as a water source to supplement the closed cooling system, work is also underway on the use of treated sewage from the municipal sewage treatment plant as a source of process water,
waste water is also used as water sources for domestic water systems or for supplementing ash removal and slagging systems.

The diagram of the water cycle in electricity and heat production processes at the PGE Group

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Source: PGE Energia Ciepła

Ecology and ecological responsibility accompany the PGE Group throughout the entire supply chain. Exploitation of lignite by the opencast method results in large-scale transformations of the land surface, and in consequence changes in the natural environment, especially in the landscape aspect. The PGE Group is restoring the post-mining areas to an unchanged form, and plans reclamation work at the initial stage of the investment.

Our remediation activities are part of:

best practices used in European mining regions,
the EU biodiversity strategy,
Floods Directive,
social policy,
directions and goals of the PGE Group business

Reclamation of post-mining areas consists in restoring the utility and natural values of depleted areas.

It was as a result of reclamation that the highest hill in Central Poland (395 m a.s.l.) – the Kamieńsk Mountain (Góra Kamieńsk) was formed. It was dumped from 1.4 million m3 of sand, gravel, loam and clays and their mixtures collected from the excavation (so-called overburden). The hill was first properly shaped, connected to the adjacent areas by building a road system and ramps and construction of the surface drainage system. The area prepared in this way was subjected to reclamation, which consisted in soil restoration and the introduction of herbaceous vegetation, the introduction of woody species and care plantings.

The reclaimed area of Kamieńsk Mountain, in addition to its natural functions, also has economic and social roles. The wind farm located there- Kamiensk Wind Park- with a capacity of 30 MW, produces clean energy for about 6,000 farms. There is also a year-round recreation and sports complex on the mountain. The Góra Kamieńsk Sports and Recreation Center is one of the region’s biggest tourist attractions. Tourists have at their disposal bicycle paths, a ski slope with pistes of varying difficulty, and a toboggan run.

From 1977 to 2019, as part of the reclamation of post-mining areas at the Bełchatów Mine and Turów Mine, we planted a total of approximately 48.5 million trees and shrubs.

The 30 MW wind farm located on Kamieńsk Mountain consists of 15 wind turbines.

On July 16, 2019, the Bełchatów Lignite Mine completed the 17-year-old formation of the external Szczerców Field dump, i.e. the next hill after Kamieńsk Mountain near the mine, which has already reached its target height and shape. In the following years, the hill will undergo full forest reclamation.

The new mountain will also have a recreational function.

The construction of the external Szczerców spoil tip began on October 21, 2002. During this time, nearly 1 billion m3 of overburden, i.e. land above lignite, were dumped near the pit. The mountain is about 170 m high and its area is over 1156.36 ha. The Bełchatów Mine started reclamation works on the newly formed dump in 2003.

From 1977 to 2019, as part of the reclamation of post-mining areas at the Bełchatów Mine and Turów Mine, we planted a total of approximately 48.5 million trees and shrubs.

The PGE Group will also prepare other excavations for reclamation. After the end of operation of the Bełchatów Field, in the years 2021-2033 it is planned to shallow the excavation with earth masses and shape the escarpment. After the preparatory work has been completed, the reclamation will take place in the water direction, where the water surface will be rebuilt naturally.

Two water reservoirs with a total water surface of over 4,000 hectares will be created on the currently operated excavations of Bełchatów Field and Szczerców Field. They will contain as much as 3 billion cubic meters of water.

At the deepest point, the water depth can reach about 170 meters. This means that the Bełchatów lakes will be deeper than Hańcza, the deepest lake in Poland.

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Environmental policy