Metrostav DIZ Starts Project for Largest Combined Cycle Heating Plant in the Czech Republic

Metrostav DIZ, in cooperation with a partner in the Siemens Energy association and the investor Energotrans, has started the preparation of project documentation for the construction of the largest combined cycle heating plant in the Czech Republic. They will start excavation work in Mělník next year, in order to replace part of coal-fired production in 2029. At the same time, Metrostav DIZ is also building a waste-to-energy plant (WtEP) in the same location. Some existing buildings will be demolished and site facilities will be put in place on the premises this summer.

“New large-scale controllable energy sources were last built in the Czech Republic in the last decade. In the current one, basically only existing coal-fired plants were modernised, or smaller ones were converted to low-emission fuels. The Mělník project, as the largest of its kind so far, symbolises the beginning of the second phase of the transformation of the Czech heating industry, in which heating plants for large cities will switch to natural gas, biomass or waste. We are honoured to be involved,” said Karel Volf, CEO of Metrostav DIZ.

“Combined cycle heating production is much more complex than simply producing electricity from gas, as happens in Počerady. Especially in Mělník, the machine room and heating aspect of the new power plant will be an extremely complex system of heat exchangers, control and other systems. Our task is to technically ensure that the heating plant is able to react correctly to a large number of operating conditions depending on the season and customers’ current needs. This will enable the operator to achieve high flexibility, which is an increasingly valuable feature in the changing energy industry,” explained Martin Kafka, Deputy Director of Plant 2 at Metrostav DIZ.

In addition to flexibility, the second major benefit of the investment will be a significant reduction in emissions of pollutants and carbon dioxide. The new combined cycle heating plant will be equipped with three gas turbines and one steam turbine. Together, they will be able to deliver 266 MWe of power to the grid and up to 730 GWh of electricity per year. Thanks to its thermal output of 183 MWt and robust hot water infrastructure, it will heat 230,000 households in Mělník, Neratovice and almost the entire right bank of Prague.

The construction of combined cycle power plants is currently a trend not only in the Czech Republic, but also in Germany and other European countries. This is putting pressure on the entire supply chain and especially on the manufacturers of key components. “The market is overheated, with gas turbines having the worst availability. Fortunately, thanks to quick negotiations with our partners, we managed to secure slots in production in time, so we are ready to meet the demanding schedule in this respect as well,” added Kafka.

The construction of the first combined cycle power plant in Mělník should start next year and finish in 2029. The contract is an EPC contract, which means that the general contractor is responsible not only for the implementation itself, but also for project preparation, technology supply and subsequent service. The investor is Energotrans from the ČEZ Group and the contractor is an association of Metrostav DIZ and Siemens Energy.

The construction of the combined cycle heating plant is co-financed by the EU Emissions Trading Scheme through the Modernisation Fund. Energotrans received investment support of CZK 7.26 bn for the project’s implementation, which accounts for more than 50% of the total expenditure, as well as operating support in the form of an auction bonus for electricity for 15 years after commissioning.

Since pre-revolutionary times, Mělník has been one of the most important energy centres in the Czech Republic. The complex, designated as Mělník I Heating Plant, today includes six coal-fired boilers using energy for combined heat and power production in 60 MWe steam turbines. There are also two heat-and-power units of the Mělník II Power Plant with an output of 2x 110 MWe. Thirdly, the Mělník III Power Plant with a capacity of 500 MWe was permanently decommissioned in the summer of 2021.

In the future, the complex should become a symbol of the modern energy industry. Since last year, a photovoltaic power plant with an installed capacity of 7.3 MWp has been operating at the former coal dump. The waste-to-energy plant (WtEP) should be put into trial operation at the end of 2027/beginning of 2028. As far as combined cycle plants are concerned, the investor plans to build up to three units with a total output of almost 1,200 MWe, all of which will be ready to burn hydrogen. Other complementary technologies include a gas boiler, electric boilers, heat storage or a battery system for storing electricity. The total investment in the location could reach CZK 50 bn.

Metrostav Group companies are traditional suppliers of construction and technological units in the energy sector. They have worked on the construction of a gas-fired power plant in Počerady and a new coal-fired unit in Ledvice. Subsequently, they participated in the modernisation and greening of coal-fired electricity and heating plants in Tušimice, Prunéřov, Mělník and Trmice. Metrostav DIZ, a subsidiary of Metrostav, has been profiling itself as an energy industry specialist in recent years.

Contact details

Radim Mana
Metrostav Group Spokesman
Metrostav a.s. Koželužská 2450/4 180 00 Prague 8
T 266 019 715, M 601 110 376
radim.mana@metrostav.cz, www.metrostav.cz