Construction of the Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) Unit at the Komořany Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Plant (PPC1)

In January 2025, I&C Energo signed a Letter of Intent with SLOVENSKÉ ENERGETICKÉ STROJÁRNE a.s., followed by the signing of a Contract for Work on 5 May 2025. The contract covers the preparation of project documentation (Basic and Detail Design), as well as the supply, installation, testing, and commissioning of the complete electrical part (power output and internal power consumption), instrumentation and control system, field instrumentation, communication and security systems, including electronic fire protection systems.

The project is currently in the Basic Design review phase. The Detail Design phase, site preparation, and procurement of long-lead components will commence shortly. Trial operation of the PPC1 unit, with a total installed electrical capacity of 85 MWe and thermal capacity of 40 MWt, is expected to begin in spring 2027.

The construction of the combined cycle unit at the Komořany CHP Plant represents another key decarbonization project within United Energy’s strategy to replace ageing coal-fired units with new environmentally friendly sources, while maintaining heat supply to the district heating network. The transformation of the coal-fired CHP plant into two modern combined cycle units for combined heat and power (CHP) generation will be carried out in two stages (PPC1 and PPC2), with planned completion in 2027 and 2029. The signed contract relates to the first stage, PPC1.

“New combined cycle units are designed to achieve maximum efficiency in electricity and heat generation. One of the advantages of this solution is the possibility to operate the boiler independently – without the gas turbine, and vice versa. This flexibility allows us to respond better to current technical and economic requirements,” says Petr Mareš, Technical Director of United Energy. The ability to flexibly manage potential imbalances between energy production and consumption is a key advantage of combined cycle power plants.

The Komořany CHP Plant is a key energy source in North Bohemia, supplying heat to more than 30,000 households and numerous businesses in the Most and Litvínov regions. Since its commissioning in 1951, it has used lignite for combined heat and power generation. As part of the planned coal phase-out, United Energy is gradually transitioning to low-emission fuels such as biomass, municipal waste, natural gas, and hydrogen. I&C Energo is already involved in this transformation as a consortium partner in the construction of a waste-to-energy facility (EVO Komořany).

The PPC1 combined cycle project is an integral part of the decarbonization strategy of the Komořany CHP Plant Group and is supported by the Modernisation Fund based on a decision of the Minister of the Environment.

Link to the article on ekonomickydenik.cz: The Combined Cycle Era Is Coming. United Energy Is the First to Select a Contractor and Proceeds to Construction. (in Czech)