Air Protection
In 1998, the CEZ, a. s. successfully completed implementation of an air pollutant reduction program, an outline of which may be briefly described in the following:
- selection of boilers for a reconstruction and an installation of new emission reduction equipment,
- gradual and permanent decommissioning of boilers not selected for the reconstruction,
- construction of desulphuring equipment for existing boilers, with an objective to reduce significantly sulphur oxide emissions
- construction of new fluidized bed boilers, with an objective to reduce significantly gaseous emissions,
- renewal of precipitators of solid substances polluting the air, with an objective of increasing their efficiency in cases of not decommissioned boilers ("existing" boilers further on) and new fluidized bed boilers,
- implementation of primary measures in combustion process control (DENOX), with an objective of reducing nitrogen oxide emissions in case of existing boilers,
- supplementing all coal power plant production units with I&C technology for continuous monitoring of emission quantities,
- replacement of bunker oil pilot burners for natural gas pilot burners.
Technical specifications of technologies providing for a reduction of air polluting substances correspond with the level of the best technologies available, as recommended by the European Union, and enable the CEZ, a.s. to comply with all the requirements of Czech Republic new legal regulations concerning the atmosphere protection
The production of pollutant emissions released into the air from CEZ Group sources is continually monitored. In 2012, emission limits were complied with at all CEZ Group combustion sources, as was the CEZ-wide emission sum ceiling along with all other technical conditions for operation relating to air protection, as imposed upon said sources in the operation permits issued by the relevant administrative authorities. In operating coal-fired power plants and power-heating plants, CEZ Group conducts long-term, systematic monitoring of their impact on air pollution through its own in-house network for measuring ground-level concentrations. In 2012, 14 measurement stations were in operation, all located in the vicinity of coal-fired power plants and power-heating plants. The stations measure gaseous pollutants (SO2, NOX) and five of the stations also measure suspended dust particles (PM10, PM2.5). The public is kept informed of the results of emissions and ground-level concentration monitoring conducted in conjunction with the operation of combustion sources through the website, where the results of emissions and ground-level concentration measurements are published, along with figures calculated for individual sources expressing the proportion of the air pollution in their vicinity attributable to them.
All CEZ, a. s. coal-fired power plants, with the exception of the Dvůr Králové Power-Heating Plant, have implemented continuous measurement of dust, NOX, SO2, and CO2 concentrations.