EU approves state aid for Irish heat scheme, Polish WtE plant

The European Commission announced April 15 that it has approved state aid for an Irish scheme for renewable heat generation and for a waste-to-energy (WtE) cogeneration plant under development in Poland.

Under European Union state aid rules, the commission said it has approved an Irish scheme to support the generation of heat from biomass and anaerobic digestion. The schedule is open to a wide range of heat users, including commercial, industrial, agricultural, districting heating, and other non-domestic heat users.

According to the commission, beneficiaries of the scheme will receive operating aid in the form of a payment for the useful renewable heat generated over 15 years. The scheme was approved after the commission determined that it would contribute to the EU’s energy and environmental objectives without unduly distorting competition.

The commission has also approved €54 million ($60.93 million) in support for highly efficient waste-to-energy cogeneration plant in Olsztyn, Poland. The beneficiary of the aid is Miejskie Przedsiębiorstwo Energetyki Cieplnej Sp. z o.o. (MPEC), a municipally owned company.

According to the commission, the plant project will be organized in the form of a public-private partnership between MTEC and a private partner selected by the beneficiary through a competitive process. The commission approved state aid for the project after determining the aid will contribute the EU’s energy and environmental objectives without unduly distorting competition.

Once operational, the cogeneration project will provide thermal energy for use in public district heating. It will also help reduce municipal waste by taking in approximately 100,000 tons of waste that is currently landfilled.