The meeting of the LIFE project partners

On 25 May was held an organizational meeting for the municipalities that express their willingness to participate in implementation of LIFE integrated project co-financed by the European Commission and the Regional Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management in Krakow.

The meeting was opened by Wojciech Kozak, Deputy Marshal of the Małopolska Region who thanked municipalities for active attitude and willingness to participate in the project. Guests and speakers of the meeting were also energy advisors of the Regional Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management in Krakow implementing in the Małopolska system of advisory support for energy efficiency and renewable energy. Co-beneficiaries of the project were also given the most important information needed to start the procedure of employment of Eco-managers in municipalities.

LIFE project Implementation of Air Quality Plan for Małopolska Region – Małopolska in a healthy atmosphere (in Polish)

National system of advisory support for the public sector, housing and entrepreneurs in the field of energy efficiency and renewable energy (in Polish)

Technical aspects of the employment of Eco-managers (in Polish)

At the turn of May and June, the Krakow CHP plant EDF Polska SA, is starting star-up tests of their new peak sources will start – 8 oil-fired boilers with a capacity of 35 MWt each. These tests are to confirm the correctness of the new installation by the contractors and prepare them for the operation in the winter. The first stage of testing will last until mid-July and the next phase will be at the beginning of the heating season.

The new peak boiler room is one of the elements of the new pro-environmental installations which also include the installation of desulphurization and the installation of flue gas denitrification on blocks 3 and 4. The new boiler room will replace old coal-fired boilers. The entire program of the adaptation of the Krakow thermal power plant installations to the new environmental requirements began in 2013 and will cost approx. PLN 650 million. The next stage of this project is the currently implemented installation of flue gas denitiation in blocks 1 and 2, to be completed in 2017.

On 19 May 2016 at the invitation of the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture, representatives of the Małopolska Region were attended at a conference on LIFE integrated projects organized in Budapest. The aim of the meeting was to present the experience of Małopolska Region and the German Hesse Region in successfully applying for funds from the LIFE program.

The conference was attended by representatives of the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture headed by András Rácz, Deputy State Secretary of Environment Affairs, but also the Ministry of National Development, government agencies, regions and organizations that are potential beneficiaries of the LIFE programme in the field of air protection and water management. Experiences of the Małopolska Region in the preparation of the proposal for the LIFE program presented Tomasz Pietrusiak, Deputy Director of the Department of Environment in Marshal Office.

Participants of the meeting expressed their willingness to cooperate and exchange experiences in preparing and implementing air quality plans and LIFE projects.

The Supervisory Board of the Voivodship Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management in Krakow increased the level of grants for the replacement of old coal boilers under the PONE program to 50% of costs.

The new PONE rules provide for the maximum funding for investments depending on the type of the new heating used:

• up to PLN 8 000 (750-830 PLN / kW) when connected to the heating or geothermal network,
• up to PLN 7 500 (1100-1300 PLN / kW) for gas boilers,
• up to PLN 4 700 (760-840 PLN / kW) for oil boilers,
• up to PLN 4 500 (620-650 PLN / kW) for modern coal boilers,
• up to 4 500 PLN (1050-1150 PLN / kW) for modern biomass boilers,
• up to PLN 3 400 (530-580 PLN / kW) for electric heating.

Municipalities may submit applications to the WFOŚiGW until 23 May 2016 and the allocation of funds for 2016 amounts to PLN 10 million.

Another year in a row, the Marshal Office of the Malopolska Region summarized the implementation of the Air Quality Plan for the Malopolska Region.

The analysis concerned the tasks carried out in 2015 which directly or indirectly influenced the improvement of air quality in the Malopolska Region. In 2015, more than 10 thousand investments were conducted in the Malopolska Region in the area of surface emission reduction. The investments included liquidation of solid fuel boilers (4446), thermo-modernization (667), use of renewable energy (5260) and modernization of district heating (30). The actions aimed at reducing surface emissions undertaken by municipalities and counties have reduced particulate matter emissions, PM10 and PM2.5, by 150 Mg and benzo (a) pyrene by approx. 65 kg. The degree of implementation of the Air Quality Plan for the Malopolska Region until 2023 currently amounts to 7.8%.

The reporting system for monitoring the progress of the objectives of the Air Quality Plan covers all municipalities and counties of the Malopolska Region. The Marshal of the Malopolska Region, on the basis of the reports received, sends information to the Malopolska Region Environmental Protection Inspector regarding the implementation of the Air Quality Plan in order to exercise statutory powers to control the execution of the tasks specified in the Program.

Detailed information on the implementation of the Air Quality Plan in the Malopolska Region in the years 2013-2015 can be found in the tab Effects of the Program implementation.