Bratislava, 19 January 2017
The lower price of natural gas on the world exchange and the investments in the development of the ENGIE Group’s thermal power plants will be reflected in the price of heat for this year. Customers will thus pay less for the heat they consume while maintaining the same quality of energy supply.
On 30 September 2016, the companies belonging to the ENGIE Group submitted to the Office for Regulation of Network Industries (ÚRSO) a proposal for maximum heat prices for 2017, which were subsequently approved. “Due to the development of the natural gas price and the contractual conditions, there is a decrease in the total heat price for 2017 in most of the calculation groups. This is at a level of 1-3%,” says František Sás, Director of the Energy Controlling and Support Activities Division of the Development Division.
The drop in the price of heat is due to the aforementioned development of natural gas prices on the stock exchange, but this is not the only reason. The ENGIE Group in Slovakia regularly invests in the development of heat management in order to increase the efficiency of operation, use modern technologies and reduce or avoid losses. The beneficial effects are already starting to show, in the form of higher efficiency of heat production, which of course has a positive impact on the overall price.
“Some of the important investments we are making in our heat farms include the construction of new biomass boiler houses, replacement of old heat distribution systems, installation of district heating stations and the use of variable frequency drive pumps. I would like to mention the town of Malacky, where last year we installed two high-efficiency combined heat and power (CHP) units. In Pezinok, after replacing the hot water pipelines and installing KOST units, we proceeded to the reconstruction of the gas boiler room in the SEVER housing estate. The new biomass boiler house will be put into operation in the spring of this year. In September, Termming, a member of the ENGIE Group, also took over the lease of the heat farm in the village of Kanianka in the Prievidza district, where it has already planned its first investment activities.” concludes František Sás.