Construction of new gas-fired unit at Bydgoszcz Combined Heat and Power Plant enters the final stage

A new low-carbon heat source is currently under construction at the Bydgoszcz II Combined Heat and Power Plant, owned by PGE Energia Ciepła, member of the PGE Group. As part of the investment implemented by the Polimex Energetyka and Polimex Mostostal consortium, a 38MWt gas-fired water boiler was commissioned on 5 February.  This is one of the key stages of the ongoing investment which will ensure the security of heat and electricity supply for the residents. 

The investment is planned to be completed during the second quarter of 2025. Progress of the investment has already reached nearly 93 per cent, with progress of construction works reaching 99 per cent at the end of January.

In the last days, on 5 February, the so-called “hot commissioning” took place at the newly built gas unit at the Bydgoszcz CHP plant, with the start of heat generation from the newly installed gas-fired water boiler. The equipment arrived in Bydgoszcz in 2024, travelled more than 1,000 kilometres and was transported by river from Venlo to the port of Rotterdam, then by sea to the port of Gdańsk, again by river to the mouth of the Vistula River at the Fordon Bridge, and then by road, through the streets of Bydgoszcz.

The transport unit which transported the boiler by land for 15 km measured nearly 38 metres, and the weight of the boiler itself was approximately 80 tonnes. The commissioning work is scheduled to continue over the next few days, with a rated thermal output of 38MWt planned for the boiler.

The construction of a new gas unit in Bydgoszcz is an important investment for the city and its residents. It is under construction at the main generating unit owned by the Bydgoszcz Branch of PGE Energia Ciepła – Bydgoszcz II Combined Power Plant. At the end of 2022, a contract with the investment contractor was signed and an legally binding decision on environmental conditions was issued.

The contract covers the project and turnkey delivery of services and supplies with the intention to install five gas engine-based cogeneration units with a total capacity of 52.6 MWe and 50.8 MWt, as well as a back-up and peak source (gas-fired water boiler, electrode water boiler and gas-fired steam generator) with a total capacity of more than 70 MWt. This configuration of district heating assets, including mainly the introduction of gas into the fuel mix, will ensure optimal operation of the Bydgoszcz CHP plant, with the assumption of achieving the lowest possible heat generation price. The new generating unit at the Bydgoszcz II CHP Plant will replace two coal-fired boilers scheduled for decommissioning.