Successful completion of the first phase of the optimisation of Unit No 5 in the Opole Power Plant

Unit No 5 of the Opole Power Plant was synchronized for the first time with the National Power System (KSE) on 15 January 2019 at 2:09 PM. This marks a successful completion of the first phase of the optimization of working parameters. On 24 January the Unit was put into operation for the first time with the capacity of 680 MW.

The construction of Unit No 5 for Elektrownia Opole has entered its final execution phase. The investment has been carried out by the Consortium consisting of Polimex-Mostostal, Mostostal Warszawa, Rafako and GE Power for PGE Górnictwo i Energetyka Konwencjonalna from PGE Capital Group. One of the two units under construction with the capacity of 900 MW is already in the process of movement regulation. The first phase of the optimization of working parameters for the unit has been successfully completed. Attending this event were the energy minister Krzysztof Tchórzewski, the representatives of the Polish Parliament, the voivode of Opolskie Voivodeship Violetta Porowska, the mayor of Opole Arkadiusz Wiśniewski, and representatives of PGE Capital Group: Henryk Baranowski, the President of PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna and Norbert Grudzień, the acting President and Vice Director of Investment and Asset Management of PGE GiEK, as well as other representatives or the Consortium.

The realization of the Unit No 5 project for Elektrownia Opole is an important investment for the purposes of securing energy supplies for the consumers. The synchronization of the unit is another step by the Polish  government to ensure Poland’s energy security. The investment is consistent with the broader strategy for the development of the Polish energy sector which was outlined in the national energy policy plan by 2040 – said Krzysztof Tchórzewski, the energy minister.

The optimisation of Unit No 5 has been carried out according to plan. Today the Unit has achieved the capacity of 680 MW and it is already indispensable in the system. At the request of the Polish Power Grid (PSE) we are extending the testing phase on this level until tomorrow – confirmed Henryk Baranowski, the President of PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna.

At the current stage of the investment implementation all devices, system algorithms, as well as the installations of Unit No 5 are undergoing detailed checks and modifications in order to preserve the technical parameters for the Unit's operation, especially in terms of emissivity and efficiency. The unit operates under varied workloads which are determined by the movement regulation. The main goal of the optimization process is to achieve the rated capacity of 900 MW. The investment has already reached 80% of this target.

When the full optimization is completed, we will perform an acceptance test for PGE and the guarantee measurements. This will be followed up by a 30-day uninterrupted work trial.  After the completion of these steps we will be able to move on to the final handover of the Unit which according to the annexed contract should take place on 15 June 2019 – announced Norbert Grudzień, the acting President and Vice Director of Investment and Asset Management of PGE GiEK.

Unit No 6, the second of the newly-constructed blocks, is also approaching the completion phase. At the moment, the cold start process is in progress. Additionally, the Company is working intensively to prepare the chemical cleaning of boiler No 6. The electrical systems are in the preparation process to supply voltage from KSE to power output transformers from Unit No 6.

We are truly proud of the results of our work on the Opole project, as it is the largest investment in the energy sector in Poland since the political transformation in 1989. The project is an important milestone on the domestic energy sector development roadmap. We will make every effort to complete the construction of both units within the agreed timeframes – said Krzysztof Figat, the President of Polimex-Mostostal S.A.   

After the handover of the new units, with the total capacity of 1,800 MW Elektrownia PGE in Opole will account for 8% of the domestic electricity demand and will become the third largest Polish power plant after Bełchatów and Kozienice. The energy will be obtained from coal delivered by Polska Grupa Górnicza in the amount of approximately 4 million tons per year.

The new investment by PGE is a huge enterprise from the design, organizational, training, logistics and construction-assembly standpoints. 3,000 purchase orders have been signed in the process of the investment implementation and 2,500 of these orders were contracted with Polish companies. Around 5,500 people worked at the construction site during the production peak.

As per the agreed schedule, Unit No 5 will be ready for operation by 15 June 2019 and the handover of Unit No 6 will follow in less than four months, namely on September 30, 2019.