EDF to invest EUR1.8bn in new Polish power plant

French power utility EDF plans to invest EUR1.8bn (US$2.4bn) to build a 900MW coal-fired power plant in Poland. The project will see the replacement of the four oldest units at Elektrownia Rybnik SA’s (ERSA) Rybnik plant with a single, more efficient one. At present, eight hard coal-fired units, dating from 1972-78, deliver up to 1775MW.

“This investment decision is in line with the group’s ambition to reinforce its positions in Central Europe and target 200GW of installed capacity by 2020, with a diversified energy mix, made up of 25% of fossil-fired energy,” EDF said. The company plans to diversify its nuclear-dominated portfolio by building strong businesses in gas, coal, hydro and renewables.

EDF has a 10% share of the power market and a 20% share of the district heating market in Poland.

Alstom has been awarded the EUR900m contract to supply the core power generation equipment by Elektrownia Rybnik SA (ERSA). Alstom’s scope includes supply of the plant’s boiler, its coal milling system and the complete turbine hall including steam turbine, generator and the balance-of-plant auxilliaries. The new plant will be fired by a combination of coal and biomass.

The contract will be carried out in two phases with commissioning due to take place in 2017. It is expected that after completion, the new ERSA plant will cover around 12% of Poland’s electricity demand.