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Home › Dodgy Deals ›
Dodgy Deal
Turów coal power plantPoland

Project – On record

This profile is no longer actively maintained, with the information now possibly out of date
Profile by:
BankTrack
Last update: 2016-10-18 19:28:46

Project – On record

This profile is no longer actively maintained, with the information now possibly out of date
Profile by:
BankTrack
Last update: 2016-10-18 19:28:46
Why this profile?

What must happen

Private banks must not finance this dodgy deal in any way.

About
Sectors Coal Electric Power Generation
Location

Turów power plant is the third largest heating power plant in Poland, and is located in Bogatynia in the Lower Silesia region, bordering Germany and the Czech Republic. Its generating capacity is 1,694.8 MW. The plant currently consists of seven lignite-fired generation units. From 2014, six units will remain operational. According to a WWF report from 2007, Turów power plant is the biggest greenhouse gas producer in Poland, and 8th in Europe. In March 2014, the tender to built Turow was won by Hitachi Power Europe and MHPS Europe, acting as the consortium leader with a 55.38% stake, and Budimex and Tecnicas Reunidas each holding 22.31% stakes.

Impacts

Social and human rights impacts

One of the main problems encountered by those living in the area of the plant is the bad air quality of lower Silesia region. On 21st November 2011, the European Commission sued Poland in the European Court of Justice for lack of progress in its implementation of the Ambient Air Quality and Cleaner Air for Europe (CAFE) Directive (2008/50/EC), which should have been implemented in Poland by the 11th of June 2010. The directive requires in particular that the PM10 (larger dust particles) level does not exceed 50 miligrams/m³ more than 35 times a year. However this PM10 level is breached with much higher frequency in many Polish metropolitan areas. Protests over poor air quality have already led to changes in regional legislation in the Malopolskie Voivoship (province) and its capital, Krakow.

The local health impacts from coal mining, transportation and combustion are also a significant concern, and communities living in proximity to these activities are experiencing adverse social impacts, such as loss of amenities, displacement, and loss of social capital as well as facing increased risks of respiratory disease, heart disease, and lung cancer.

In addition, burning coal causes health related problems related to coal ash and air pollution. The plant also contributes to the region becoming ‘locked in' to coal-based energy production for the next 40-50 years, making the shift to a renewable energy based society all the more difficult.

Both the Polish constitution and European Union legislation guarantee the right to live in a clean environment, and the quality of the air that citizens breathe every day is part of that right. The local health impacts from coal mining, transportation and combustion are also a significant concern, and communities living in proximity to these activities experience adverse social impacts including displacement and loss of social capital, as well as facing increased risks of respiratory disease, heart disease, and lung cancer.


Environmental and climate impacts

Burning coal is one of the most polluting methods of energy production. It causes significant changes to air quality through emissions of toxic substances such as SO2, NOx, small and large dust particles (PM10 and PM2.5) and heavy metals such as mercury and cadmium. Coal burning is also the largest single contributor to GHG emissions worldwide and thus has an impact on the climate of the region and the planet. Coal mining and coal combustion also cause serious water shortages and pollution both by modifying ground and subterranean water flows and sewage discharges that affect river and sea flora and fauna. One of the most serious secondary effects of pollution from coal combustion is ocean acidification and acid rains.

Companies

Polska Grupa Energetyczna (PGE)

Poland
Profile
Website
- The plant is owned by Polska Grupa Energetyczna (PGE). The PGE Group operates two large lignite mines and more than 40 power stations. Power stations are fueled mainly by hard coal and lignite. The lignite mine from which Turow power plant sources its fuel in Bogatynia will likely be depleted within 30 years. In 2012 PGE Group stated that it might consider building lignite mines and power plants in the Lubuskie region, Western Poland, in a long term perspective, as the deposits of its current mine in Bogatynia will likely be depleted within 30 years. PGE holds permits to explore lignite deposits in the region. The cost of building two mining-energy complexes could amount to PLN 70-75 billion (EUR 16,66-17,85 billion).
No companies
News
BankTrack
Partners
Blog
External
BankTrack news BankTrack blog Partner news Partner blog

POLAND FINED €500,000 for each day illegal mining continues at Turów

2021-10-11 | Europe Beyond Coal
BankTrack news BankTrack blog Partner news Partner blog

One year of illegal mining in Turow, Letter to the European Commission

2021-04-29 | European Environmental Bureau
BankTrack news BankTrack blog Partner news Partner blog

CZECH REPUBLIC TO SUE POLAND OVER TURÓW COAL MINE

2021-02-22 | Europe Beyond Coal
BankTrack news BankTrack blog Partner news Partner blog

Give us back our water and homes: communities stand up to greedy coal

2020-09-25 | Germany, Poland
BankTrack news BankTrack blog Partner news Partner blog

Czechs angry at severe water loss caused by Polish mining

2016-11-28 | The Ecologist
BankTrack news BankTrack blog Partner news Partner blog

Energy security – new investment projects [Poland under construction]

2014-12-04 | Premier.gov.pl
BankTrack news BankTrack blog Partner news Partner blog

PGE power picks PLN 3.25 bln bid by consortium with Budimex in Turow tender

2014-03-18 | WSE Info Space
BankTrack news BankTrack blog Partner news Partner blog

Elektrownia Turów pod społeczną lupą

2013-12-17 | Poland | Eko Unia
BankTrack news BankTrack blog Partner news Partner blog

Poland's PGE cancels tender to build power unit, will re-tender

2013-03-27 | Reuters
BankTrack news BankTrack blog Partner news Partner blog

PGE power to decide on fate of Turow project in late February/early March

2013-02-11 | WSE Info Space
BankTrack news BankTrack blog Partner news Partner blog

PGE surprised by pricey bids for Turow block

2013-01-09 | Patria
BankTrack news BankTrack blog Partner news Partner blog

Deadline extended for submitting bids for Turow power unit contract

2012-10-15 | CEE Construction
BankTrack news BankTrack blog Partner news Partner blog

PGE faces reversal of environmental permit for Turow power block

2012-10-10 | Warsaw Voice
Resources
Documents
Images
Videos
Links
2013-06-01 00:00:00

Silent Killers

Why Europe must replace coal power with green energy
NGO document
2013-06-01 00:00:00 | Greenpeace
2007-05-01 00:00:00

Dirty Thirty

Ranking of the most polluting power stations in Europe
NGO document
2007-05-01 00:00:00 | WWF

Greenpeace actions

2014-06-04
No thumbnail available

Greenpeace action - 26 march 2012

2014-06-04 18:08:35

Greenpeace action - 19 june 2013

2014-06-04 18:04:47

Source Watch

Sign the petition: Tell Polish Energy Group to phase out coal

Updates

2021

2021-09-20 00:00:00 | Poland vows to keep coalmine open despite €500,000-a-day ECJ fine

Poland’s rightwing government has said it will continue to mine coal on its border with the Czech Republic despite being ordered to pay €500,000 for every day that it defies a European court of justice order to stop. The fine was issued by the EU’s highest court on Monday September 20th 2021 after four months of Warsaw ignoring an earlier order to suspend extraction of lignite, a low-quality brown coal, at the Turów opencast mine in south-west Poland. The government said it would continue to operate Turów, arguing that its suspension would put the country’s energy security at risk.
See here the Turow fine countrer.

2014

2014-06-24 00:00:00 | Environmental Permit decision been taken to the WSA

The Environmental Permit decision has been taken to the WSA (voivodship level administrative court - second instance) and the outcome of the challenge by the Frank Bold Foundation is expected to be known on June 25th. Recently an IPPC procedure has also been opened there.

2014-03-19 00:00:00 | PGE power picks PLN

PGE power picks PLN 3.25 bln bid by consortium with Budimex in Turow tender.

2014-03-18 00:00:00 | Second tender

The first tender was cancelled, but the procedure for the second tender for the investment is still ongoing, since PGE has not announced the outcome yet. The best price offer was made by chinese Shanghai Electric Group that valued investment to 3,08 billion PLN, while PGE planned to spend utmost 2,83 billion PLN.

2014-02-20 00:00:00 | Frank Bold Foundation sues

In February 2014, the Frank Bold Foundation sued the decision of Self-Govermental Appeals board that mainteained the environmental permit in force.

 

2013

2013-06-04 00:00:00 | Premature deaths caused by Turow

The Greenpeace study Silent Killers estimates that 5,900 life years have been lost due to the pollution caused by Turow.

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