The European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) has approved funding for the cross-border UNITED HEAT project. This forward-looking initiative focuses on close Polish-German cooperation to decarbonize the district heating system in the European twin city of Görlitz/Zgorzelec.
On 6 February, Stadtwerke Görlitz AG (SWG) and their Polish partner SEC Zgorzelec submitted initial EU funding applications—covering both overall project planning costs and construction of specific facilities such as a biomass heating plant in Zgorzelec, a section of the pipeline linking the combined heat and power plant in Görlitz Königshufen with the Görlitz wastewater treatment plant, and the integration and expansion of biogas storage.
“We are delighted with the EU Commission’s approval of these funds. It clearly shows that the EU recognizes the importance and far-reaching impact of our undertaking, paving the way for the next steps in close cross-border cooperation between Görlitz and Zgorzelec,” said Octavian Ursu, Mayor of Görlitz. To date, only a few projects across the EU have qualified for support under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) programme. Rafal Gronicz, Mayor of Zgorzelec, added: “When we presented our declaration of intent for a cross-border, climate-neutral district heating network about four years ago, many were sceptical. But the determination and commitment of everyone involved have paid off—we can see it is possible!”
Funding is not yet fully secured, however. Attention now turns to the German Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (BAFA), which administers the national BEW support programme. Approval of the BEW application is essential for the implementation of UNITED HEAT. “Without joint support from the federal government and the EU, the necessary decarbonisation of the heating sector in our region will not be feasible—at least not if we want to maintain competitive prices for our customers,” stressed Matthias Block, CEO of Stadtwerke Görlitz AG. A decision from BAFA is expected in July. “We are confident the full financing will be confirmed in the coming weeks and are already working on implementation,” added Wojciech Makarski, Management Board Member of SEC Zgorzelec.
To move the project forward, a German-Polish working group has been established with experts from both companies and their stakeholders. “This is not an everyday project, so we are pleased to draw on the expertise of the Veolia Group and E.ON edis Energia and to receive their active support,” explained Matthias Block. Around 30 specialists from different countries are working intensively on UNITED HEAT. The project is also strongly supported by the German-Polish Energy Platform on behalf of the Federal Foreign Office. “Everyone shares the same goal: to make UNITED HEAT a key contributor to achieving climate targets and to provide sustainable, future-proof heat for the twin city of Görlitz/Zgorzelec,” said Grzegorz Bicki, CEO of SEC Zgorzelec.