The ČEZ Group produced over 327 million kWh of electric power from biomass last year and exceeded so slightly the balance from two years ago. The mentioned production would cover an annual consumption of almost 94 thousand households at the same time.

Last year over 363 thousand tons of biomass were burned in four facilities  of the ČEZ Group in the Czech Republic producing electric power from biomass (the Hodonín power plant, the Poříčí power plant, the Tisová power plant and the Dvůr Králové heating plant).

Despite general problems with delivery of biomass at the beginning of 2009, especially a positive trend of increased production of the refurbished Hodonín power plant which managed to increase the interim production by almost 19 per cent and deliver over 177 million kWh, fully proved in total numbers. Last day of the past year was in token of a definite change of one of the units in Hodonín entirely to clear biomass (other operations of the ČEZ Group apply so called coburning of biomass and coal). After Hodonín also the power plants in Tisová and Poříčí should consequently undergo modifications enabling increased volumes of production from biomass.

“The broad objective is an achievement of the level of 700 million kWh produced from biomass annually in the horizon of several years within operations of the ČEZ Group in the Czech Republic. The power plant in Hodonín should contribute with one third,” said Dušan Timko, the Director of the Organisational Unit of Heating Plants Hodonín, Poříčí, Tisová and Vítkovice.

Production from biomass in power plants of the ČEZ Group in the Czech Republic (2009)

Within the portfolio of renewable sources of the ČEZ Group biomass is the second most important element after hydro power plants. ELCHO and Skawina, the Polish power plants represent a great future potential in the area of electric power production from biomass within the ČEZ Group too.

Increased volumes of the burned biomass are concurrently a contribution of the ČEZ Group to the announced Biomass Action Plan in the Czech Republic for the period 2009 to 2011. The plan shall help to meet the liability of the Czech Republic towards the European Union to increase the share of electric power produced from renewable sources in gross domestic needs of electric power.

The ČEZ Group being the largest domestic producer of electric power plans to invest in total 30 billion Czech Crowns in development of renewable power sources in the following 15 years. Objectives of the ČEZ Group in the area of extension of production capacities from renewable sources are directly related to the objective of the Czech Republic to produce in total 13.5 % of power from renewable sources in 2020 according to the climatic-power package of the European Union.