Detmarovice power plant to end coal use by spring 2025

Detmarovice, North Moravia, Nov 5 (CTK) - The production of electricity from coal at the Detmarovice power plant will end in spring 2025, and energy group CEZ is building a low-emission heating plant there at a cost of Kc2bn, which will produce heat from biomass and gas, CEZ spokesman Vladislav Sobol told CTK.

CEZ has concluded ten-year contracts with four suppliers for the purchase of biomass in advance, Sobol said.

In recent years, the heat supplied from Detmarovice has come mainly from gas and this heating season is the last one when gas will be supplemented by coal, he said.

"We are continuing our previously announced plan to replace coal with modern gas and biomass sources," said Kamil Cermak, CEO of CEZ ESCO and supervisory board chairman of heating company CEZ Teplarenska. "Detmarovice is thus an example for the Czech Republic of a successful and flexible transformation of a coal site into a modern energy complex," he added.

CEZ demanded 25,000 tons of biomass for each year. The suppliers will be regional companies Dumass, Aneyron, Pila Pesl and Carbounion. CEZ has concluded contracts with them for the period from April 1, 2026, to December 21, 2034.

The Detmarovice power plant has been in operation since 1975. With an output of 800 megawatts, it used to be the largest coal-fired source in the Czech Republic.

hel/er