Construction of Poland’s largest solar collector farm integrated with a district heating system has passed the halfway mark in Gliwice. The facility, being built on the grounds of the Przedsiębiorstwo Energetyki Cieplnej (PEC) in Gliwice, is part of the broader Zielona Energia Park (Green Energy Park) project, which also includes a heat storage unit and a multifuel power block. The entire investment is valued at over PLN 475 million and is scheduled for completion by the end of 2028.
The solar collector farm will eventually comprise 1,135 solar collectors. According to the company, 497 collectors have already been installed, with another 50 expected to be added by the end of July. This installation will be the largest facility of its kind in Poland to operate in conjunction with a district heating network.
Work is proceeding in parallel on pre-insulated pipelines laid across the solar fields and on the main distribution lines exiting the technological building that houses the pumping station. It is through these pipelines that heat captured by the collectors will be fed into the city’s district heating system. The steel structure of the pumping station building has been completed, and electrical installation work is now underway. Foundations for elevated trestles are finished, enabling construction of the supports on which pipelines linking the new installation to existing PEC-Gliwice infrastructure will be mounted.
Solar collectors and heat storage
The company has announced that the installation of pipelines on the trestles is planned to begin in September. Earlier, in the first half of August, a planned shutdown of the district heating network will take place to allow for the connection of the new installation to the existing network and the fitting of isolating valves.
– This is the foundation of a new model for district heating, based on energy security, environmental responsibility and modern technologies – said Krzysztof Szaliński, president of PEC-Gliwice. – Each completed stage brings us closer to achieving this goal.
The heat storage unit will be one of the most important components of the entire system. It will be approximately 37 meters tall with a capacity of 12,000 cubic meters. Construction of the tank has reached a height of 10 meters; the foundation and bituminous layer are completed, and all steel elements for the tank shell have been delivered. The shell is being assembled using a spiral method: steel strips are formed and welded on the ground, then the entire structure is lifted using hydraulic jacks. Assembly of the heat accumulator is scheduled to finish in September this year.
– The heat storage will allow us to efficiently utilise heat produced by the solar installation and increase the flexibility of the district heating network – added Szaliński. – Thanks to this, we will be able to manage heat better and use renewable energy sources even more effectively.
Multifuel block as the heart of the system
The core of the installation will be a multifuel power block responsible for high-efficiency cogeneration of heat and electricity. It will have a thermal capacity of approximately 21 MWt and an electrical capacity of 4 MWe. The block will use as fuel municipal waste unsuitable for segregation and further recovery.
Recent work on this part of the investment included excavating the fuel storage area and its dividing wall, pouring the boiler house floor, laying underground technological networks in the machine and pump rooms, and installing prefabricated reinforced concrete elements for the fuel storage building. The next stage will involve assembling the crane gantry serving the fuel store. In August, work will begin on the chimney support structure – one of the most recognisable elements of the future facility.
The production of key boiler components is ongoing off-site. Since May, under the supervision of the Urząd Dozoru Technicznego (Technical Inspection Office), welding of the boiler drum shell has been underway. Delivery of this element to the construction site is planned for mid-September.
The Zielona Energia Park in Gliwice is the largest investment in the history of the local PEC. By combining renewable energy sources, heat storage and modern energy recovery technologies, it is intended to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels and significantly cut carbon dioxide emissions while improving the security of heat supply.
Źródło: WNP.PL, Fot. materiały prasowe / PEC Gliwice
