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Environmental research and development projects

In 2023, the PGE Capital Group implemented 27 research and development projects in the field of environmental protection with a total value of PLN 15.6 million. Cooperation in this area was conducted with 8 external partners.

Name of project Company Project objective Project partners
A hybrid electricity storage facility at the Żarnowiec Pumped Storage Hydro Power Plant PGE S.A./
PGE EO/
PGE Invest 14 sp. z o.o.		 The aim of the project is to build a battery-based electricity storage facility with estimated parameters of 200-205MW/800-820MWh at the Żarnowiec Pumped Storage Hydro Power Plant to support the operation of the Żarnowiec Power Plant and to balance generation from wind farms.
Energy storage cilities integrated with the hotovoltaic farm on ount Żar PGE EO The aim of the project is to build an energy storage facility integrated with a 500 kW / 750 kWh photovoltaic farm on Mount Żar and to examine in real conditions cooperation of such an energy storage facility with a photovoltaic farm and the way the energy storage system integrated with a PV farm affects the grid. CIM-mes Projekt Sp. z o.o.
A set of undertakings aimed at mitigating the negative impact of PV installations on the voltage parameters in the LV network. PGE Dystrybucja The aim of the project is to implement the assumptions proposed in the document “A model of operation and development of the distribution network with distributed energy sources”, adopted in 2021 by the Management Board of PGE Dystrybucja S.A., by introducing elements of active management of the distribution system with regard to network infrastructure and system users, at the technical level utilising the potential of distributed RES energy sources and increasing the possibilities of their integration into the network, as well as improving the operation and planning of network development. Pilot installations will be built in three locations, i.e. Zamch Podkolonia 2, Dubiecko 2, Babice Młyn. They will ensure voltage stability in distribution networks, which can be destabilised, for example, by energy suppliers. The project is to be executed by PGE Group experts within the scope of their competencies.
The application of artificial intelligence based on neural networks to
identify and eliminate risks in distribution networks with a high saturation of
generation from RES sources.		 PGE Dystrybucja The aim of the project is to develop an autonomous distribution network control system. The control system will be based on artificial intelligence which, on the basis of collected data, both data received in real time and predictions of future states, will be able to make decisions resulting in the maximum exploitation of the RES potential in a given area of the network. The application of the system under analysis is crucial for areas with a high saturation of RES generation sources due to the exceedances of the standardised quality parameters that occur in them, which are the cause of generation constraints in installations and risks of damage to power equipment in the network. This translates directly into increasing losses for not only generators, whose installations are not operating at optimum capacity, but also the distribution system operator, who, due to numerous complaints from connected counterparties, has to upgrade the network to adapt it to the new operating conditions. The use of artificial intelligence in the system will allow dynamic optimisation of power distributions in distribution networks, taking into account data from a number of sources, including metering received from PMUs, the AMI system, power quality measurement devices, the SCADA system, inverters in PV installations, energy storage facilities, weather forecasts, information on network section failures/rebuilds and the operator’s own predictions. Thanks to the inclusion of a large number of components, the analyses performed by the system and the resulting decisions regarding the choice of network configuration, changes to the operating profile of controllable devices in the network, or the increase/decrease of generation in given nodes, will guarantee the full utilisation of existing transmission capacities, while maintaining the normative power quality parameters. The system in question will be an overarching component of the SCADA system currently in use. The project is to be executed by PGE Group experts within the scope of their competencies.
CCS/CCU CO2 capture demonstration plant PGE EC The aim of the project is to carry out a technical, economic and legal analysis of the feasibility of applyingthe CO2 capture technology to a selected PGE EC generating unit. The developed set of documents will allow the initiation of an investment process with the aim of building a demonstration plant. Captured carbon dioxide can be sold to an external enterprise, used in the power-to-X technology or stored in a geological deposit. A decision on the final solution will be made at the project planning stage and the feasibility study will include an appropriate analysis of the issue. PGE S.A.
Treating flue gases from the thermal waste conversion process using a
newly developed regenerable sorptive material		 PGE EC Increasing the effectiveness and reducing the cost of removing mercury (Hg) generated in the process of thermal waste treatment with energy recovery from flue gases by:
1) optimisation of the treatment process – mainly sorbent injection
2) development of a sorptive material as a cheaper alternative to the currently used pulverised activated carbon (PAC)
Reducing the cost of the currently used sorbent (activated carbon), which is not regenerable, by replacing it with a cheaper sorptive material developed within the scope of the project, characterised by regenerability and reusability.
Reducing the cost of the heavy metal flue gas cleaning process by optimising the process aimed at reducing sorbent consumption in relation to the amount of waste processed.		 AGH (Academy of Mining and Metallurgy) in Cracow
Environmental optimisation of coal-fired boilers at PGE EC PGE EC Environmentally safe as well as technically and economically efficient operation of coal-fired boilers in a situation of further and imminent tightening of the environmental requirements associated with the combustion of hard coal. Testing, under operational conditions, the environmental, technical and economic efficiency of an innovative method for the simultaneous reduction of SO2 and Nox emissions. This will also allow optimisation of the method to be carried out under real-world conditions, which may enable its further development. Development and implementation of a model to manage the carburisation process and control the operation of flue gas cleaning equipment, taking into account compliance with FGD emission limits without the need for process plant upgrades. Silesian University of Technology
Pilot system for the production of green hydrogen from an offshore wind
turbine (Wind2Gen)		 PGE S.A. The aim of the project is to demonstrate an innovative system for the production of low-carbon hydrogen for industrial purposes using a state-of-the-art wind turbine designed for the offshore wind market. If the financial benefits of the developed solution are confirmed (NPV >= 0), it will be possible to implement it in the PGE Group’s planned Offshore Wind Farm projects, making them independent of the national grid (NPS) and potential shutdowns or reductions in permitted electricity production. Partners within the Capital Group: PGE Energetyka Kolejowa S.A, PGE Energia Ciepła S.A, PGE Energia Odnawialna
and
GE Wind France SAS, GE Power sp. z o.o.
An intelligent LV network reconfiguration system with a support system
for assembly services		 PGE Dystrybucja S.A. The project will integrate switching units with a safety control system provided with new functionalities and create an IT module for dynamic optimisation of the operation of the power grid. The aforementioned switching units will be connected to a computational module. The solution will make it possible to connect the existing infrastructure with the network layout optimisation module in order to carry out operations of dynamic LV network reconfiguration, allowing for optimisation of energy losses and automatic isolation of failed network fragments. Automatic reconfiguration of LV networks both reduces technical losses of electricity distribution to consumers and enhances the reliability and flexibility of the power system. The application developed within the scope of the project for assembly services will provide accurate information about the place of fault occurrence, which will eventually limit the number of field trips of technical vehicles (to specific faults, without the need to locate them), thus reducing the number of kilometres driven and the level of exhaust emissions, as well as environmental damage caused during trips to locate faults. Apator Elkomtech
Globema
Intelligent system for stabilising temporary power supply operation in a
network with dense prosumer presence		 PGE Dystrybucja S.A. The business objective of the project is to implement the provisions of the “Quality Regulation 2018-2025” document by aiming to reduce CTP and CP outage rates by 25 percent
during this period. In 2022, the reduction in the CTP rate using generators was 26.6 min/cust. An additional objective will be to improve the electricity quality parameters in accordance with the Regulation of the Minister of Climate and Environment of 22 March 2023 on specific conditions for the operation of the power grid (Journal of Laws of 2023, item 819). Meeting the reliability indicators is a challenge that must be met, among other things, by supplying electricity to consumers during scheduled maintenance of the network. When testing power supply from the generator, the installed PV cells switch on, providing a return voltage that shuts down the circuit. As a consequence, work is carried out without supplying power to customers despite having generators, which, in turn, is not in line with the trends set for DSOs by the ERO. The alternative is to use mobile energy storage facilities (high expense and heavy weight making transport difficult).		 NRG Project
 SILTEC
Intelligent load optimisation system for HV lines – Heimdall Power PGE Dystrybucja S.A. The solution is based on the latest hardware and software solutions. The basic element of the system is an autonomous set of sensors and measuring devices installed in a closed enclosure of severely limited dimensions, designed for installation directly on a line’s service conductors and requiring no additional maintenance during its lifetime. Heimdall Power’s solution is easy to install and, in particular, does not require precise calculations of the location on a service cable. The unit is prepared for live installation. The presented solution uses the temperature measurement of the cable as a basis, and additional equipment for ice and vibration detection can be used. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that the communication solutions used in the Heimdall product provide access to real data online, even for line sections where there is no radio coverage. In such a situation, information from a line section is passed between successive sets of sensors until communication with a cloud is achieved, allowing the system to be installed on lines in any area and to achieve increased reliability. Heimdall Power
Using artificial intelligence to find anomalies in electricity metering
and billing systems		 PGE Dystrybucja S.A The main objective of the project is to create a system that will automatically analyse data collected in the currently used IT systems and from metering devices installed deep in the power grid by eliminating erroneous connections in metering systems and illegal energy consumption. Conducting continuous and comprehensive analyses of collected data will allow for the correct billing of the consumers of electricity distributed by the DSO (reduction of commercial and technical losses) and the improvement of energy quality parameters, which entails a smaller number of complaints and claims. The state-of-the-art software will provide greater precision in searching for potential anomalies. This will ensure improvement in the company’s profitability and operational efficiency. It is important to analyse data in terms of electricity quality parameters and to identify the sources and causes of disturbances. Pysense sp. z o.o.
Łódź University of Technology
A photovoltaic laboratory PGE Energia Odnawialna S.A. The aim of the project is to build a photovoltaic laboratory based on different solar energy conversion technologies in PV cells and to compare the parameters of monocrystalline, polycrystalline, thin-layer cells based on products offered by different manufacturers with different declared quality parameters. An analysis of optimising several types of installed inverters, including inverters for prosumer applications, with different types of PV panels and test cooperation with several types of energy storage facilities (prosumer batteries). City of Siedlce