New regulations on monitoring and quality control of solid fuels

In the composition in Otmice near Izbicko, the regulations applicable from Sunday are prepared. – Customers will be more aware of what they are buying. For us it's no problem, because we have information from the mine – we hear.

On November 4 new regulations on the monitoring and quality control of solid fuels entered into force. Their goal is to limit the sale of low quality coal, which caused air pollution. In the first wave – from September 12 this year. the flotoconcentrates, solid unsorted fuels and mixtures containing less than 85 percent were sold to household furnaces. hard coal.

Now standards have been introduced for hard coal, briquettes or pellets containing a minimum of 85 percent. hard coal and coke and semi-coke from hard coal and lignite sold for households and installations up to 1 MW.

If the fuel does not meet the quality standards specified in the ordinance of the Minister of Energy, it can not be sold to these customers.

Now, buyers of coal or coke will receive so-called certificate of solid fuels quality. This is a document, the model of which was prepared in the ministry, containing information such as grain size, calorific value, ash content or humidity. A copy of the seller must be handed over to the customer, and the original must be kept for two years, and if the certificate is not submitted or false information provided in it may result in penalties.

The Polish-wegiel.pl portal said that buyers wishing to buy low-quality fuels (eg mules) for installations with thermal power from 1 MW up must provide a copy of the certificate of running such an installation. Certificates are issued, for example, by starostas and valid only for one year. Copies of these certificates delivered to the fuel store must be kept for 5 years.

The National Trade Inspection is to verify compliance with the new law, and entrepreneurs selling fuel that do not meet quality standards to households or installations weaker than 1 MW, face a fine of 10,000. up to PLN 1 million or imprisonment for up to 5 years. From 10,000 up to 100,000 PLN will amount to a penalty for the seller who will not issue a quality certificate, or if it will contain incorrect data or will not give the buyer a copy.

Łukasz Horbacz, president of the Polish Coal Producers Chamber of Commerce, assesses that the law concerning the quality of fuels combined with previously introduced standards for boilers may result in limiting air pollution with exhaust fumes. – It is important to educate clients not to look only at a low price, but more important – the unit price of energy – he comments.

However, in his opinion, we can not give up completely from coal for heating homes, because Poles can not afford it. – Resignation would mean an increase in heating costs by 30, 40, or even 60%. Meanwhile, research commissioned on our assignment shows that 10 percent. 20-25 percent of those polled for the purchase of coal home budgets. Electric cars are also more ecological, but they are too expensive to be bought by everyone, "Horbacz argues.

OPOLSKIE INFO – 2.11.2018