Vast lignite, coal deposits boon for Poland - deputy energy minister
Poland’s vast resources of lignite and coal are a major opportunity for the country as it plans its future development, deputy Energy Minister Andrzej Piotrowski said on Friday.
He added that the Polish government was working on technology to use coal for the production of energy without harming the environment.
"We are working on that because none of us wants to live in a polluted environment," Piotrowski said while attending ceremonies marking Power Engineer’s Day in Belchatow, central Poland, on Friday.
Power engineers present at the ceremonies noted that brown coal plays a strategic role in the country’s energy mix because it guarantees the security of energy supplies and stabilises energy prices. Brown coal, also known as lignite, is responsible for 70 percent of all electricity generated in Poland, according to energy sector professionals.
Those taking part in the ceremonies also highlighted the role of hard coal, which they said accounts for 20 percent of electricity produced in Poland.
The Belchatow festivities began with a mass celebrated in a local church, followed by a ceremony during which dozens of energy sector professionals were presented with awards.
A town in central Poland, Belchatow is the headquarters of PGE Gornictwo i Energetyka Konwencjonalna, a major energy company that operates a number of lignite mines, power plants and combined heat-and-power plants in nine provinces across Poland. PGE Gornictwo i Energetyka Konwencjonalna is a component of Poland’s PGE energy group. (PAP)
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