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HYDROPOWER HOTSPOTS AND POLISH RIVERS. Green Federation GAJA P O L A N D. Kinga Krzywicka. Hydropower in Poland.
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HYDROPOWER HOTSPOTS AND POLISH RIVERS Green Federation GAJA P O L A N D Kinga Krzywicka
Hydropower in Poland The possibilities of hydropower production in Poland are not evenly distributed in Poland. Most of it (about 68%) is present in the River Vistula basin. The rivers with high energetic potential are: Wisla (Vistula), Dunajec, San, Bug, and also Odra (Oder), Bóbr, and Warta. The highest concentration of existing medium size and large hydropower stations is in the western and southern parts of the country. The lowest in central Poland, in the eastern part they are practically absent.
Tab. 1. Largest hydropower stations in Poland with capacity (Pt) 5,0 MW (Pt – installed capacity of turbines; Pp – installed capacity of pumps; Hn – nominal height of fall)
Regions in southern Poland (close to the mountains) are the most attractive for construction of small hydropower (SHP) stations in terms of water resources, but taking into account present hydro-technical infrastructure, the western and northern parts of the country are also regarded as very attractive.
Energetic resources of Polish waters are not big because of not very high and unevenly distributed precipitation, high soil permeability, and low land inclination. • 1,5% of hydropower in the electricity production is the share • 11% of the available resources are used in Poland • 30% of the potential hydropower feasible for exploitation is being obtained at present
Potential of Polish rivers in terms of energy production exceeds 23000 GWh/year - it is used in 52%.
There are more than 700 hydropower plants working in Poland.Small hydropower (SHP) stations are most popular at present. In 2002, there were about 580 of them, their installed capacity was 185 MW.About 20% of small hydropower stations in Poland is owned by big energetic companies controlled by the state, the rest of them belong to private investors .
The hydropower potential in Poland is 13650 GWh/year (including SHP: 1700 GWh/year), but practically, owing to economical and nature protection constraints, it is estimated that maximum about 8000 GWh/year are now available
According to statistical data of 2003, Polish energetic system had 34683 MW of installed capacity, of which about 2100 MW, i.e. less than 6.1% falls to hydropower. For 2004 these figures were 34715 MW and 2168 MW, respectively. Pumped-storage power stations have the biggest capacity.
Total electricity production in Poland was 154 102GWh in 2004. In 2003, it was 143 230 GWh and hydropower constituted 2.6%.
Hydropower stations as obstacles for fish migration in Polish rivers A lot of Polish HP stations have not fish ladders or if so, the ladders do not function properly. Thus most of the rivers are inaccessible for migratory fish species which contributed to heavy losses and even extinction of many populations.
Special programmes aimed at making rivers accessible for migratory fish are being elaborated in each province. They are supposed to include plans for construction of modern fish-ladders as well as demolition of dams that are not used for energy production.
Subsidies for hydropower • National Fund of Environmental Protection and Water Management, • EcoFund, • Thermomodernization Fund, • Voivodship funds of environmental protection and water management. SHP in Poland can be financed by:
Foreign support for SHP: • World Bank • European banks financing large projects • EU funds like PHARE and ISPA, SAPARD • Agreements on bilateral cooperation with some western European countries, namely Denmark, Germany, Sweden, and the UK, provide possibilities for financial support in SHP development in Poland.
Plans for future Increase of share of energy from renewable resources in the energetic budget of Poland to 7.5% in 2010 and 14% in 2020 is the main, strategic goal resulting from a “Strategy of renewable power industry development” elaborated by the Ministry of Environment.
Regulation of rivers and creation of reservoirs are being put forward as advantageous for environment, as they make the river flow more even and diminish the risk of floods. The arguments are even such as a river bed can be cleaned from rubble, water can be better aerated, adsorption, mineralization and photosynthesis can be enhanced, and also new areas for leisure activities and recreation can be created.
Hydropower plant Wloclawek – a hotspot This biggest river hydropower station in Poland is located near a town called Wloclawek. This power plant forms a key obstacle for fish migration to the rest of the River Vistula basin above the dam. There is a chamber fish-ladder, but only very few fish are able to pass it. This fact contributed to disappearance of migratory species, especially such as sturgeon, salmon, sea trout, and vimba in the middle and upper parts of the river basin.
Works on making the Vistula accessible for migratory fish are still in their initial phase, and it is hard to say when the problem will be solved. Without that restoration of migratory fish populations in large part of Poland is not possible.
