PGE delays decommissioning of the Dolna Odra coal plant

The largest Polish power-producing company, the state-owned PGE (Polska Grupa Energetyczna), will decommission the four coal-fired units at Dolna Odra Power Plant in two stages: two by end-2025 and two by August 2026, the company announced.

The phased approach extends operations for eight months into 2026, replacing unprofitable coal with new gas-steam units and upcoming projects like a 600-megawatt (MW) peak-load gas turbine, the Gryfino Heat Plant, and 400 MW battery storage.

Originally, the termination of electricity and heat production at Dolna Odra’s coal units was planned for the end of 2025. But this was later changed to a slower and gradual phase-out. Two units will be decommissioned by the end of 2025, while the operation of the remaining two will be extended until August 2026, ensuring the plant’s readiness to supply energy for an additional eight months in 2026.

The share of coal-based energy in Poland’s energy mix is steadily declining each year. This trend is driven by the growing production of more cost-effective energy from renewable and gas sources, coupled with the low efficiency of ageing coal-fired power plants.