Inhabitants of Pawłowice, Zakrzów and Ramiszów near Wrocław are organizing a protest against the plant that is to incinerate waste. Fortum replies.
After last Wednesday (May 12), Fortum and representatives of the Wisznia Mała commune announced plans to build the Fortum heat and power plant, which would incinerate non-segregated waste, residents of Wrocław estates, as well as towns bordering on the area where the plant is to be built, announced that they would try to block the investment. They accuse representatives of the concern that, without their consent, they want to build an incineration plant just a few hundred meters from their homes and that they do not tell the whole truth about the possible impact of the investment on the environment. Fortum responds to the allegations and announces consultations on this matter.
“It is not true that the heat and power plant, which is to incinerate waste, will be built away from the nearest housing estates. The place indicated is located 200 meters from the nearest buildings and only 800 meters from the borders of Wrocław” – says Michał Konderla from Stowarzyszenie Nasze Pawłowice i Ramiszów, who, together with other residents of the estate, collects signatures online under a petition addressed to the mayor of Wrocław to block the investment.
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“We are making an appeal and a kind request to support us, the residents, by preventing the implementation of the investment project concerning the construction of a waste incineration plant, the location of which is planned at the Psie Pole AOW junction” – we read in the introduction to the petition which has already been signed by hundreds of residents.
Fear of an incinerator and dozens of questions from residents
“It cannot be that decisions about such an investment are made behind our backs, even hiding its expected effects,” says Michał Konderla on behalf of the residents, and he is flooding us with questions to which he expects answers from Fortum and local authorities.
We only cite the most important of them:
- Will the RDF (Refuse Derived Fuel) fuel that is to be powered by the CHP plant be produced on site and is it toxic?
- How many concrete trucks delivering waste to the incineration plant will be additionally burdened by local road traffic, considering 200,000 tons of waste per year?
- Why is the investment planned in the area of low-rise housing, and not in an industrial district, away from potential recipients, i.e. large housing estates?
- Will the planned storage of ashes after combustion in special bunkers be safe for the environment and will it be possible to disperse the ashes by the wind?
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The residents hold a grudge against the mayor of Wisznia Mała that, contrary to the objection from the mayor of the neighboring Długołęka, and four years ago, Wrocław authorities refused to agree to the construction of a heat and power plant, the local plan in Wisznia Mała was changed especially for this investment. The change makes it possible to locate a combined heat and power plant with chimneys up to 80 meters high there.
“When we decided to build houses and settle in this place, we were convinced that no large industrial investment would be built in our area, because such were the provisions in the local development plan. Now we feel cheated” – says Michał Konderla.
Protesters talk about a cynical game of interests that accompanies this investment. Fortum will finally put down what it has been planning for years. Wrocław authorities can wash their hands, because the incinerator will be built outside the city limits, and the head of Wisznia Mała can boast about financial benefits, because the municipal treasury will receive millions of zlotys from Fortum taxes every year.
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Fortum responds to the allegations of the residents
We asked the company to respond to the questions and allegations from the opponents of the construction of a heat and power plant near Wrocław.
“We plan to build a heat and power plant in the most advantageous location in terms of social and environmental conditions. On the one hand, it guarantees convenient access (the intersection of S8 and 78 roads), which will not be burdensome for residents, and on the other hand, it ensures reasonable proximity to the heating network (approx. 5 km) The CHP plant will be isolated from the residential buildings on each side: by the highway, road 78 and the railway line, and additionally by an industrial area of several dozen hectares “- replies Jacek Ławrecki, Fortum’s spokesman.
As for the waste to be incinerated at the plant, Ławrecki explains that the alternative fuel (RDF – Refuse Derived Fuel) used in the new CHP plant will be produced from waste (mainly plastics, textiles, dirty paper, etc.) devoid of organic fraction. The waste from which such fuel will be produced is sorting residue that is not suitable for reprocessing. Instead of going to landfill, this fraction of waste can be used to make fuel and be used to produce energy. Unfortunately, it says nothing about the substances that will be released from the chimneys of the incinerator. As for ashes and their storage, the Fortum spokesman replies that the ashes and slags generated as a result of energy production in the CHP plant will be exported and used, e.g. as an additive to cement or to the construction layer of the road. Those wastes that cannot be used will be sent to a landfill, where they can be disposed of in a safe and controlled manner.
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“As for transport, the new heat and power plant will require a maximum of 6 vehicles per hour, from 6am to 10pm on 238 days a year. It is for this reason that we decided to locate it isolated by two national roads S8 and 98 to ensure the most convenient access, no inconvenience for residents. According to the official data of GDDKiA, more than 40,000 cars use these roads daily “- explains Jacek Ławrecki.
Answering questions about the large pipe that is to be supplied to Wrocław under the windows of houses in Pawłowice and Zakrzów, the representative of Fortum reassures that the heating pipe will be laid underground and its route will be located outside built-up areas.
Will the residents be able to block the construction of a combined heat and power plant?
The project – according to Fortum representatives – is in the preparation phase, and the final investment decision depends on obtaining appropriate administrative decisions and offers from key suppliers.
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“Before we make a decision, we will carry out information and consultation activities, which will take many months. We have just started informing about the potential investment and we are very much counting on the active participation of the public in shaping this project, we are also ready to explain any doubts that may arise” – argues Jacek Ławrecki from Fortum.
The OdNova CHP plant, which burns fuel from non-reusable waste, is to be built near Wrocław, at the junction of S8 and DK 98 roads, in the Wisznia Mała commune, and incinerate up to 200,000 tons of waste per year. Its estimated cost is about PLN 700 million. Fortum wants to start the construction of the heat and power plant in 2023, and plans to start the facility two years later. The heat and power plant with a capacity of approx. 51 MWt is to produce heat sufficient for approx. 35 thousand people. residents of Wrocław, as well as the surrounding municipalities, if they are connected to the Fortum network. The new installation will also generate 130 GWh of electricity per year. This is as much electricity as statistically consumed by 45 thousand. apartments.
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There are over 450 installations that recover electricity and heat from non-recyclable waste in Europe, including Poland, incl. in Szczecin, Poznań, Kraków, Bydgoszcz, Rzeszów, Zabrze and Białystok. Among them are installations belonging to Fortum.
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