The Local Government Appeals Board (SKO) in Bydgoszcz upheld the environmental decision issued by the Mayor of Inowrocław for the construction of a waste-to-energy (WtE) plant in Inowrocław. The Board found that all environmental impacts of the project had been assessed and that the documentation prepared by the investor was complete. Upholding the decision renders it final and opens the way to applying for a building permit. This is another step following the July joint development agreement between PreZero and Qemetica, moving toward the delivery of the largest facility of this type in Poland.
In its reasoning, the SKO indicated that the project is consistent with the local spatial development plan, and the extensively cited case law of administrative courts allows locating waste incineration plants in industrial areas. The Board also emphasized that the parties and the public were ensured participation in the proceedings. It was noted that residents’ comments may lead to additional requirements being imposed in the decision, but do not undermine its merits. The decision on environmental conditions is intended to identify potential risks and define the conditions for implementing the project.
"The SKO’s ruling means the environmental decision becomes final. This allows us to apply for a building permit for an investment on which the future of soda production and thousands of jobs in Kujawy depend" explains Tomasz Molenda, President of the Management Board of Qemetica Soda Polska.
The SKO, as an independent public administration body hearing appeals against decisions of local government units, found that the Mayor of Inowrocław’s ruling was issued in accordance with the law and did not require changes.
Two appeals were filed against the decision by organizations. According to the investor, one of them came from an entity engaged in blocking such projects across Poland. None of the residents of Inowrocław appealed the decision. – Only two appeals were filed by organizations, including one by an entity that seeks to block this type of investment across Poland. None of the residents of Inowrocław lodged an appeal. I consider this the best evidence of the effectiveness of the consultations. The SKO decision shows that a well-prepared application and a properly conducted procedure for issuing the decision on environmental conditions form an effective barrier to persons and institutions seeking to block investments that support the energy transition and maintain the competitiveness of Polish industry – adds Piotr Kapuściński, Vice President of Qemetica Soda Polska.
Project concept and facility parameters
The Inowrocław New Energy project will be implemented jointly by PreZero and Qemetica. The waste-to-energy facility will be built within the Qemetica Soda Polska soda ash complex in Inowrocław and is intended to partly replace the capacity of coal-fired boilers. The fuel will be residual waste with high calorific value, unsuitable for recycling, originating from municipal waste sorting. The energy recovery process will produce process steam and electricity used in the soda plants’ production processes.
The facility’s maximum throughput is set at 310,000 tonnes of waste per year. According to the investor, this will reduce the plant’s dependence on high-emission and increasingly expensive energy sources and strengthen its competitive position on the European soda ash market. Currently, high energy costs account for about 70 percent of the total cost of producing soda ash. Qemetica is the largest producer of soda ash in Poland and the second-largest in the European Union. Construction of the WtE plant is part of a broader energy transition plan for the Inowrocław site.
