Construction interrupted during martial law is being resumed
The idea of completing the construction of the power plant is coming back pumped storage (ESP) Młoty in Lower Silesia. This is an investment that started half a century ago – in 1973. Over the next eight years, three pressure adits were drilled inside Zamkowa Kopa, excavations and hydrotechnical works were carried out. According to the plan, two reservoirs were to be built – upper and lower – for energy storage. Production would be launched during energy peaks, when demand is highest.
However, work was carried out on one of the largest energy investments of those years interrupted during martial law (December 1981). The official reason was lack of money and lower energy demand. At that time, many large infrastructure investments were canceled. The idea was revisited a few years ago, when it turned out that potential green energy from ESP Młoty was becoming more and more desirable in the Polish energy mix.
Second attempt to build the Młoty power plant
In 2022, the then minister, Michał Dworczyk, during a meeting with residents, announced that the construction would be “cleaned up”. The decision was important because the inhabitants of the village of Młoty have been living in uncertainty for decades. They are prohibited from extending their houses or making major renovations, because if construction starts, they will have to move out. The entire village will have to be flooded to create the lower reservoir of the power plant.
A year later, PGE Invest 12, established to build the old-new power plant, was supported by the National Fund for Environmental Protection and the Economy. It was then announced that the Młoty pumped storage power plant would be built by 2030 and would cost approximately PLN 5 billion.
In the fall of 2023, after the change of government, the matter subsided. However, the new investment has not been deleted from PGE’s plans. Based on the feasibility study, the decision to build was made. In July 2024, the company applied for a key document – environmental consent. However, the Regional Directorate for Environmental Protection (RDOŚ) ordered the preparation of a larger environmental report to check how the construction will affect the surrounding protected area.
What’s next with construction? Work in progress
The day before the end of the year, PGE Invest 12 submitted an environmental report. The next day, the local Regional Directorate for Environmental Protection began its verification. The future of the construction will depend on this decision. If the company obtains environmental approval, construction will begin.
As indicated by the Ministry of Energy, so far – for the needs of the report – the technology for building water reservoirs and dams, as well as for extracting power from power plants, has been developed. In 2024, PGE also carried out a “voluntary real estate valuation process for the residents of the villages of Młoty and Spalona”.
PGE also estimated the construction cost, but the specific amounts remain a company secret. This is due to the fact that PGE – after obtaining permission – wants to announce a tender for the general contractor. It seems that the recently announced completion date (2030) will be changed due to the longer wait for permits.
How will the Młoty power plant operate?
The planned capacity of EPS Młoty is 1,050 MW. The power plant will in fact be a large energy reservoir. At night, during the so-called energy valleys, will take cheap electricity from the grid to run pumps transporting water from the lower to the upper reservoir. In turn, during energy peaks, the power plant will release water, driving turbines and generating the electricity necessary for the system.
According to EPS Młoty assumptions, it will have a capacity of 4,090 MWh, which means it can operate at full power for about four hours. At this time would be able to provide electricity to approximately half a million customers.
But the lower EPS Młoty reservoir, on the Bystrzyca River, is to fulfill another function. During heavy rainfall, excess rainwater would be absorbed. According to calculations by the Ministry of Energy, the reservoir could absorb a flood wave of four million cubic meters.
“The investment regarding the construction of a pumped storage power plant in Młoty was included in the Nysa Kłodzka flood risk reduction program prepared by Wody Polskie,” said Miłosz Motyka, Minister of Energy, in response to a parliamentary interpellation.
