350
K. Kubiak-Wójcicka and L. Szcz˛ ech
17.9 Plans for the Development of Hydropower
Despite many concepts that were set for the purposes of the energy use of Polish
rivers, especially the Vistula, many of them have not been implemented or have
been implemented to a minimum extent. The stagnation in the construction of large
hydropower plants in Poland was associated with the lack of financial resources for
the implementation of the investment, and in recent years the environmental issues
and objections of many environmental organizations decided on it [50].
An example of a long process associated with the implementation of the investment is the planned construction of the new dam in Siarzewo, below Włocławek,
where the hydropower plant will be 80 MW. Public consultations regarding the choice
of location (one of the 4 proposed by the investor) began in 2012, within the next
2 years, studies on the impact of investments on the environment were carried out,
and at the beginning of 2015, a report on the environmental impact was submitted.
After one year from submitting the report, the institution issuing the environmental
decision (Regional Directorate of Environmental Protection) refused to give consent
for the implementation of the investment. The investor appealed against the decision,
and finally a positive environmental decision was issued on December 27, 2017. The
construction of the HP stage is planned to start in 2020, and finish in 2025. According
to various sources, the cost of building a dam in Siarzewo is estimated at approximately PLN 2.2 billion, i.e. EUR 512 mln. On 12.10.2018, the information about the
construction of the stage in Siarzewo was announced by the Prime Minister, Mateusz
Morawiecki, himself [51]. This investment will be carried out by the Polish National
Water Company and Energy Company. A positive opinion on the construction of the
dam in Siarzewo was an impulse to resume work on the energy use of the Vistula
River.
In 2018, another concept for the development of the Vistula was presented, which
includes new technical solutions for the development of the lower Vistula. The recommended variant of the lower Vistula development covers, beyond the Włocławek and
the Siarzewo dams planned for implementation, other 4 dams in Solec Kujawski,
Chełmno, Grudzi˛ adz and Gniew. Planned water heads will allow for the use of dams
for energy production, but also secure the depths guaranteed in the river for the needs
of inland waterway transport.
The total power of the lower Vistula cascade, depending on the accepted variant,
can range from 507.1 to 857.4 MW, which enables an average annual energy production from 3428.4 to 4221.1 GWh [52]. The obtained results indicate that the possible
implementation of a cascade of damming stages together with hydroelectric plants
on the lower Vistula will make a significant contribution to energy production in the
National Energy System (Table 17.3).
A slight increase in interest in small hydropower and construction of hydroelectric
power plants occurred in 2005–2010 and was associated with numerous subsidies
for the construction of new facilities and modernization of existing ones. It mainly
concerned small objects with a capacity of less than 10 MW. As part of these activities,
priority was given to investments that used former damming or water mills. Because
K. Kubiak-Wójcicka and L. Szcz˛ ech
17.9 Plans for the Development of Hydropower
Despite many concepts that were set for the purposes of the energy use of Polish
rivers, especially the Vistula, many of them have not been implemented or have
been implemented to a minimum extent. The stagnation in the construction of large
hydropower plants in Poland was associated with the lack of financial resources for
the implementation of the investment, and in recent years the environmental issues
and objections of many environmental organizations decided on it [50].
An example of a long process associated with the implementation of the investment is the planned construction of the new dam in Siarzewo, below Włocławek,
where the hydropower plant will be 80 MW. Public consultations regarding the choice
of location (one of the 4 proposed by the investor) began in 2012, within the next
2 years, studies on the impact of investments on the environment were carried out,
and at the beginning of 2015, a report on the environmental impact was submitted.
After one year from submitting the report, the institution issuing the environmental
decision (Regional Directorate of Environmental Protection) refused to give consent
for the implementation of the investment. The investor appealed against the decision,
and finally a positive environmental decision was issued on December 27, 2017. The
construction of the HP stage is planned to start in 2020, and finish in 2025. According
to various sources, the cost of building a dam in Siarzewo is estimated at approximately PLN 2.2 billion, i.e. EUR 512 mln. On 12.10.2018, the information about the
construction of the stage in Siarzewo was announced by the Prime Minister, Mateusz
Morawiecki, himself [51]. This investment will be carried out by the Polish National
Water Company and Energy Company. A positive opinion on the construction of the
dam in Siarzewo was an impulse to resume work on the energy use of the Vistula
River.
In 2018, another concept for the development of the Vistula was presented, which
includes new technical solutions for the development of the lower Vistula. The recommended variant of the lower Vistula development covers, beyond the Włocławek and
the Siarzewo dams planned for implementation, other 4 dams in Solec Kujawski,
Chełmno, Grudzi˛ adz and Gniew. Planned water heads will allow for the use of dams
for energy production, but also secure the depths guaranteed in the river for the needs
of inland waterway transport.
The total power of the lower Vistula cascade, depending on the accepted variant,
can range from 507.1 to 857.4 MW, which enables an average annual energy production from 3428.4 to 4221.1 GWh [52]. The obtained results indicate that the possible
implementation of a cascade of damming stages together with hydroelectric plants
on the lower Vistula will make a significant contribution to energy production in the
National Energy System (Table 17.3).
A slight increase in interest in small hydropower and construction of hydroelectric
power plants occurred in 2005–2010 and was associated with numerous subsidies
for the construction of new facilities and modernization of existing ones. It mainly
concerned small objects with a capacity of less than 10 MW. As part of these activities,
priority was given to investments that used former damming or water mills. Because