Jaworzno Power Plant. The dispute over the repair of the block. Which company will complete the repair of the 910 MW unit?

– The delay of several days is due to the attitude and actions of Rafako – said Patrycja Hamera, a spokeswoman for NJGT, quoted in the statement.

– We cannot agree to activities aimed at the maximum extension of the block’s downtime. On Thursday, we decided on the so-called substitute contracting. It is an action aimed at safe and fastest possible start-up of the block. The designated replacement contractor has already been involved in the above-mentioned work, has full knowledge of the repaired installation and the competence to successfully complete the process – she added.

– Rafako did not respond within the prescribed period to the letter in which we asked for confirmation of the date of completion of the repair work. In this situation, we implemented a contingency plan. The choice of substitute contractor is proof of our determination to put the 910 MW unit into operation as soon as possible. Such actions are within the scope of our contractual mandate, explained Hamera.

The announcement indicated that “the works carried out within the boiler funnel are reduced to the implementation of repair activities aimed at repairing damaged elements – small damage in the form of scratches, dents and deformations”. “At this point, there is no leakage or other serious failure of the steam system of the boiler. The works are carried out on the basis of a repair technology approved by UDT” – it was written.

– Despite the continued openness in talks with Rafako, we had to take decisive action, because the country’s energy security is at stake. Rafako’s recent actions are aimed at forcing Tauron to withdraw from the contract and, consequently, to resign from bank guarantees for investments in the amount of PLN 600 million. The approach aimed at maximizing the duration of the contract is a huge threat to the national energy security – added the spokeswoman.

The company Nowe Jaworzno Grupa Tauron has suspended the possibility for the employees of Rafako and its subsidiary to enter the power unit in Jaworzno, which prevents further work, Rafako said in a statement on Friday. The company assessed the actions as groundless and called for immediate work in the block to be allowed.

“The suspension by NJGT of the possibility of entering the premises of the issuer’s and subsidiary’s employees block prevents the issuer from continuing the work carried out so far provided for in the contract in the so-called transition period, and the subsidiary company from continuing the work carried out so far provided for in the contract for operational and coordination works” – it was written in the release Rafako.

As it was added, Rafako, taking the position that the NJGT was unfounded and did not justify such an action, called for the immediate implementation of the works.

The day before, on Thursday evening, Tauron reported that Rafako has ceased repair work a 910 MW unit in Jaworzno, therefore Tauron commissioned a replacement.

The 910 MW unit built at a cost of over PLN 6 billion in Jaworzno was delayed in November 2020. In June 2021, it was shut down due to faults that have been repaired since then by contractors from the Rafako-Mostostal Warszawa consortium. The unit was restarted at the end of April 2022. The block is in a transitional period – the phase of tuning, testing and optimization, which was supposed to last until the end of October.

Currently, the unit is not working, the unit has been temporarily shut down due to the need to carry out a full cleaning process of the boiler and slag remover. The stop was to last – according to earlier announcements by Tauron – until August 29. At that time, the contractor, Rafako, was to carry out work aimed at removing defects from the boiler funnel.

Rafako’s CEO, Radosław Domagalski-Łabędzki, in an interview with BI Polska, assessed that the shutdown of the block is the result of coal parameters that do not comply with the contract. Earlier, Tauron assured in response, among others, that the block has advanced systems for detecting contaminants contained in the fuel, and the coal meets the criteria.