The RESTOR Hydro Days in Poland took place from Friday to Sunday, 6-8 June 2014 in Suchedniów near Kielce and were combined with the Annual Meeting of the Polish Association for Small Hydropower Development (TRMEW).
On the first day of the event the General Assembly of TRMEW was held and the other two days were dedicated to the RESTOR Hydro project. After the opening speech made by the new president of TRMEW, Robert Szlęzak, the newly made project video about small hydropower in Europe and about benefits of repowering old mills was presented. During the seminar on the current and future activities undertaken within RESTOR Hydro, project experts Ewa Malicka and Michał Kubecki presented the RESTOR Hydro Map and told in details about the cooperative which is being created as well as about the pilot sites which are going to be restored by this cooperative.
In the next parts of the RESTOR Hydro Day, President of TOE (Association of Energy Trading) Marek Kulesa, the guest of the event, drew a broad perspective of electric energy market for renewable energy sources and Radek Koropis, TRMEW Vice President, made an attempt to evaluate the chances of SHP sector to exist and develop in the context of the act on RES adopted by the Polish government in April. He also explained all consequences of the draft act for potential investors in SHP projects.
In the afternoon the financial aspects of SHP projects were discussed: current opportunities and prospects of energy and Green Certificates sale were presented by Andrzej Grześ, the President of TRMEW Obrót Sp. z o.o. and Joanna Ziemba made a review of all regional operational programmes through which co-financing of SHP projects is possible in Poland.
Next blocks of presentations can be summarized as practical workshop on developing SHP projects and the power plant exploitation. Kuba Puchowski told in details about permitting process concerning water-legal consent and Ewa Malicka about concessions to produce electricity in RES. Waldemar Brysz explained tax issues and some other legal aspects of developing SHP projects and Radek Koropis with Katarzyna Dobrowolska presented the subject of SHP insurance.
On Sunday the study tour was organized to three small hydropower plants on the Czarna Nida river: SHP Wolica, SHP Bieleckie Młyny and SHP Morawica. The plants were recently built or refurbished on sites where the ruins of old mills still exist. Michał Kubecki, the organizer of the tour representing the company performing design and construction works at the visited sites told about the history of the mills and experience with their repowering and exploitation.
There were 81 participants of the events in total. In their opinions on the organisation of the RESTOR Hydro Days they appreciated competence of the speakers, high level and attractive form of the conference and workshop as well as the merit of the study tour.
The RESTOR Hydro video
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