Renewable energy production in the Zachodniopomorskie Voivodeship (Poland)

The current state and the development prospects for renewable energy in the Zachodniopomorskie Voivodeship (Poland) have been presented. In this area there are 43 wind-power installations of total power of 726.429 MW, 69 hydropower plants of total power of 12.989 MW, over 250 biomass heat and heat and electric power plants of power exceeding 250 MW, one biomass and coal co-generation power plant. There is 22 million dm(3)/year of bioethanol as well as 0.75 million dm(3)/year of Rapeseed Methyl Esters (RME) produced. There are 10 biogas power plants located at municipal waste sites, 4 biogas power plants located at sewage treatment works and 4 agricultural biogas power plants. In the voivodeship there are geothermal power plants in Pyrzyce and Stargard Szczeciriski. A few hundreds of solar thermal collectors and heat pumps have been installed. There are ten locations designated as a potential site for the construction of a nuclear power plant. In the near future it is planned that the renewable energy sector will continue to develop in the Zachodniopomorskie Voivodeship. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.