On the 12th of April, 2021, during a conference at the Ministry of Climate and Environment, a document was signed under which a Science, Technology and Business Hub will be established in Miękinia, in the Małopolskie Voivodship to support the implementation of tasks related to the promotion, research and development, and the use of renewable energy sources, mainly in relation to heat pumps.

The undertaking is implemented on the initiative and under the patronage of the Minister of Climate and Environment.

The Head of the Ministry, Michał Kurtyka, emphasized during the conference that heat pumps are a promising source of energy, due to their efficiency, as well as economic and ecological aspects. They are also an opportunity to create new jobs - both in the industry responsible for manufacturing the equipment and in the sector dealing with its installation. An important role of the energy-saving transformation has been identified, among others, in "Poland's Energy Policy until 2040".

- Earth’s heat is available to everyone. It can be used 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Thanks to heat pumps installed in the ground, we can benefit from inexpensive heating - said Piotr Dziadzio, Poland’s chief geologist and the government's plenipotentiary for the for the National Raw Materials Policy of the country. - Heat pumps are the future of individual, but also of large agglomeration heating systems - he added.

The signing of the letter of intent to establish the Science, Technology and Business Hub to support the development of heat pumps. From the left: Michał Kurtyka, Minister for Climate and Environment, Piotr Dziadzio, Poland’s Chief Geologist and Government Plenipotentiary for the National Raw Materials Policy

The aim of establishing the HUB is to increase the potential of local entities to create innovative solutions in the field of using renewable energy sources, mainly based on heat pumps. The choice of Miękinia as the location for the initiative is related to the Center for Sustainable Development and Energy Conservation which has been operating there since 2009 and belongs to the Faculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environmental Protection of AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków, one of the signatories of the Letter of Intent. The Center conducts activities in the field of renewable energy sources, hybrid energy systems, energy efficiency and prosumer microgeneration of energy. The facility has adequate infrastructure and research is already being conducted in the field of heat pump development. The practical experience of the Małopolska region in combating air pollution is also of considerable importance.

The HUB will combine the development of technical infrastructure (laboratories, test halls and offices) with modern management methods and network cooperation of entities involved in the development of technologies for intelligent energy. The initiative will also support scientific and technical thought and generate inventions related to the use of renewable energy sources.

As part of the HUB’s planned work, PGI-PIB will be engaged in activities related to the broadly understood evaluation of the potential of low-temperature geothermal energy, the development of methods for studying thermal properties of rocks and soils, and the promotion of ground source heat pump technology implemented in the country to reduce emissions of dust and harmful gases up to 40 m.

There are also plans to set up an Education Center in Miękinia, which will provide training and advice to entities connected with the Renewable Energy Sources (abbr. RES) market, as well as promote the efficient use of these sources among prosumers.

The Letter of Intent was signed by 11 stakeholders: the Minister of Climate and Environment, the Government Plenipotentiary for Renewable Energy Sources, Poland’s Chief Geologist and Government Plenipotentiary for State Raw Materials Policy, the Board of Directors of the Małopolskie Voivodeship, the Polish Geological Institute - National Research Institute, the Institute of Environmental Protection - National Research Institute, the AGH University of Science and Technology at the Polish Academy of Sciences. Stanisław Staszic in Cracow, Institute of Mineral Raw Materials and Energy Management at the Polish Academy of Sciences, the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management, the Regional Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management in Cracow and the Mayor of the Krzeszowice municipality.

Source: Ministry of Climate and Environment
Translated by Tomasz Trzpil (PGI-NRI)