Dear Sirs,
Cogeneration is the foundation of large-scale district heating systems and one of the key components of Energy security. Cogeneration produces electricity and heat close to off-takers, thereby stabilizing the operation of the National Power System and reducing the need to transmit electricity from remote sources.
This year’s report by the Polskie Towarzystwo Energetyki Cieplnej (Polish Association of Heat Energy) represents a new stage in our analyses. For the first time, we demonstrate the role of cogeneration on two complementary levels. The first one is both local and network-based. Using the Rzeszów CHP Plant as an example, we analyze how reducing cogeneration output and the extensive electrification of district heating systems might affect power distribution and load on local power systems. The second level is system-based. It illustrates the consequences of various options for the transformation of district heating systems, particularly with regard to the role assigned to cogeneration, heat generation costs, availability, and need to replace electrical capacities, necessary capital expenditures, fuel consumption, and emissions. This perspective provides a better understanding of the true significance of cogeneration. It is not merely a heat-generation technology—it is an essential system resource whose role will grow alongside the development of renewable energy sources and the electrification of district heating systems.
The transformation of district heating systems cannot be considered in isolation from power systems. As we point out in the report, replacing local cogeneration capacity exclusively with Power-to-Heat technologies—and the resulting increase in electricity off-take—could lead to higher system loads, additional infrastructure costs, and the loss of important local dispatchable capacities. Therefore, the future model of district heating systems should be based on the coordinated use of high-efficiency cogeneration, heat storage, Power-to-Heat technology, and low- and zero-emission fuels.
Presenting this report to you, we also emphasize the need for a stable and predictable regulatory framework for the further development of high-efficiency cogeneration. This is essential for ensuring the security of heat and electricity supplies, optimizing the transformation costs, and promoting faster decarbonization of district heating systems in Poland.
I wish you a pleasant reading!
Marcin Laskowski
President of Polskie Towarzystwo Energetyki Cieplnej
(Polish Association of Heat Energy)
