An investment is scheduled in the next period at a thermal power plant of the Oltenia Energy Complex. Equipment and materials will be provided for the construction of a humidification installation at the slag and ash deposit at the Turceni Thermal Power Plant. We are considering the purchase of water supply pipes, sprinklers and other equipment for making the circuits. The budget allocated by the administration of the energy company is over 11,000 lei.
The water circuits will ensure the transport of water to the ash deposit so that it can be periodically watered. In this way, the dust will no longer rise into the atmosphere during periods of strong wind and drought.
The investment will ensure air quality according to the requirements imposed by the Environmental Guard and the provisions of Law 104 of 2011, regarding air quality. Almost every year there is dust pollution from the warehouses of the thermal power plants of the Oltenia Energy Complex.
Fines for dust pollution
It should be remembered that the Environmental Guard recently fined the Oltenia Energy Complex for dust pollution from the three power plant branches in Turceni and Rovinari.
Thus, massive dust scattering was observed last week from the slag and ash deposits belonging to the two Rovinari and Turceni thermal power plants, within the Oltenia Energy Complex. The commissioners of the Gorj Environmental Guard urgently carried out checks at the two power plants, to see how to apply the measures to combat the scattering of dust, during periods of strong wind. In neither of the two cases was there an appropriate intervention, which is why both thermal power plants were fined 15,000 lei each.
Group 5 will benefit from an ash collection facility
At the same time, an ash collection facility will be installed at power group number 5 at the Rovinari Electrocentrale Branch. Power group number 5 is still undergoing upgrades and will benefit from the desulfurization facilities of power group number 3 that was closed last year. Holcim Romania has concluded a partnership with the Rovinari Thermal Power Plant, which will build an installation to take over the slag and ash that will result from the combustion of the modernized boiler and from the other energy groups.
However, an environmental impact study is necessary, which will be the basis for issuing the Environmental Agreement by the relevant authorities. The project of the Holcim company envisages the construction of an ash collection, transport and dispatch facility for energy block number 5 at the Rovinari Electrocentrale Branch. The plasterboard factories use the ash resulting from the burning of coal in the boilers of the thermal power plants of the Oltenia Energy Complex. It is a raw material that the energy company has in very large quantities in slag and ash deposits near power plants.
Pollution and CO2
The Oltenia Energy Complex is considered one of the biggest polluters in the country. In addition to pollution from slag and ash dumps, pollution also occurs at the chimney of power plants that burn coal to produce electricity. Because of CO2 emissions, the Oltenia Energy Complex is obliged to pay taxes of hundreds of millions of euros every year. The Oltenia Energy Complex completed on this date the purchase of CO2 certificates related to the electricity production of 2023, complying with the compliance obligations. Purchases of CO2 certificates (EUA) were made on the EEX Primary Market and the EEX Spot Secondary Market.
The Oltenia Energy Complex fell within the deadline set by the legislation every year for complying with the purchase of the entire amount of CO2 certificates corresponding to the energy produced. Year after year, the Oltenia Energy Complex needs several hundred million euros to pay for CO2 certificates. In fact, the company receiving state financial aid to pay the pollution tax. In exchange for financial aid, the company is obliged to implement a Restructuring Plan. Thus, mining quarries and coal-based groups will be phased out and natural gas groups and photovoltaic parks will be built. However, the deadlines for starting the works have long been exceeded.
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Tags: Installation depollution thermal power plant CEO
