Construction of a cross-border district heating system is underway to provide a stable and climate-neutral heat supply to the residents of Zgorzelec and Görlitz. The United Heat project is being implemented by the SEC Group and E.ON Energy Infrastructure Solutions, together with SWG and the Veolia Group. In October, the European Commission granted additional financial support for the project under the CEF Energy – CB RES program.
An important step on the road to decarbonizing district heating
Companies such as SEC Zgorzelec, owned by the SEC Group and E.ON Energy Infrastructure Solutions, and Stadtwerke Görlitz AG, part of the Veolia Group, are operationally involved in the United Heat project. In October, they signed a second grant agreement with the European Commission — WORKS 2 — securing further support for the development of modern district heating systems on the German-Polish border.
United Heat is a landmark project for the energy transition in Europe. Zgorzelec and Görlitz are jointly taking bold steps toward the decarbonization of district heating. They are creating a modern, environmentally friendly infrastructure, ultimately powered exclusively by renewable energy sources.
Modern heat sources on both sides of the border
Thanks to EU funding, construction of a 25 MW biomass heating plant has already begun in Zgorzelec. As part of the second funding package, a solar thermal plant with a capacity of about 5 MWp will also be built there, along with a TTES installation — a heat storage tank with a capacity of around 3,000 m³. Meanwhile, in Görlitz, a biomass heating plant with a capacity of about 5 MW, a sewage heat recovery plant (approx. 2.5 MW) and a district heating pipeline connecting Königshufen with Biesnitzer Straße will be constructed.
Through the cooperation between SEC Zgorzelec and Stadtwerke Görlitz AG, border residents will benefit from a modern, sustainable energy infrastructure that ensures uninterrupted heat supply. About 12 km of new district heating networks will also be built, allowing for future connections of additional heat consumers and a significant improvement in air quality. The planned reduction in CO₂ emissions amounts to approximately 50,000 tons per year.
The regions of Upper Lusatia and Lower Silesia were shaped for decades by coal-based energy, but today Zgorzelec and Görlitz are becoming a symbol of green transformation. The United Heat project will enable residents on both sides of the border to benefit from environmentally friendly, reliable heating, improving their overall comfort of living.
United Heat – an example of energy integration in Europe
The development of cross-border energy connections, exemplified by the United Heat project, contributes to strengthening Poland’s integration with the EU energy market. Better synchronization of transmission systems provides residents of cities such as Zgorzelec and Görlitz with clean, safe and modern heating.