Geothermal heating plant in Kolo, Poland officially starts operations

Opening ceremony of Geotermia Kolo geothermal heating plant in Kolo, Poland (source: Kolo official website)

The geothermal heating plant in Kolo, Poland has officially opened just about two months after its construction was completed. The heating plant is owned and operated by Geotermia Kolo (formerly MZEC), a fully owned firm of the Municipality of Kolo, which also operates the local district heating system.

The geothermal heating plant consists of two wells (production and reinjection), a heating plant building, a filter station, a discharge pool, and a water treatment plant. The project required a total investment of PLN 108 million (approx. USD 27.4 million). This amount includes subsidies from external funds, a loan from the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management, and the own funds of Geotermia Kolo.

We had reported extensively on the Kolo geothermal heating project, starting from the drilling of the first well back in 2021, the second drilling in 2022, and the funding of the construction of the heating plant.

In the coming years, the investment in the geothermal heating plant is expected to yield returns in the form of reduced CO2 emissions, improved air quality, stable heat price, and an improved efficiency of the network infrastructure.

“It is one of the most important events in terms of historical importance, it is a breakthrough investment in terms of economics, city development and energy security,” said Krzysztof Witkowski, Mayor of Kolo.

“There is a massive transformation of the Polish energy industry in which our local company is taking part, we are aware of our impact on the environment and we want to interfere with it as little as possible. In turn, Minister Paulina Henning-Kloska emphasized that this is a large, important, strategic investment, the first in this region and the 8th in the country,” added Przemys?aw Stasiak, the President of the Management Board of Geotermia Kolo.

New funding and avenues for growth

The completion of the geothermal heating plant makes Goetermia Kolo a more energy-efficient enterprise. This is expected to help the company obtained new external funds for further development of the heating network, thus connecting additional customers.

Kolo has been described as having excellent conditions for geothermal utilization. It is therefore a sound strategy to utilize the geothermal energy in several ways. Thus, a feasibility study is being prepared for the construction of geothermally heated thermal pools in the Municipal Swimming Pool. Exploring the use of geothermal for recreation, tourism, and balneology gives the city another avenue for development while improving the quality of life of its residents.

Source: Kolo official website