Ivanek said that CEZ, which already owns a 492-MW coal-fired power plant in the southern Polish town of Skawina, will decide on the exact locations for the new plants by the middle of next year.
"We are thinking about two new power plants, one 400 MW and one 800 MW. Both will be fuelled by natural gas," said Ivanek. "We have decided to conduct feasibility studies. If we go forward with the projects, the plants could be operational in five years," he added.
The company has not ruled out building another plant in Skawina, but is considering other options, including construction in an area with potential for wind farms.
CEZ said that limits on CO2 emissions, as well as unreliable coal deliveries, were the reasons behind its decision to build the natural-gas plants. The firm is in talks with natural-gas suppliers about deliveries, including Polish gas monopoly PGNiG.
Ivanek also said that CEZ remained interested in Polish coal mines, and could finance investments in the sector in return for steady deliveries.
"We know the coal miners need cash for investments to seek new deposits. We can give the cash for guaranteed supplies. We are also interested in a form of partnership," he said.
Poland will suffer a capacity deficit of as much as six percent through 2014 as demand for electricity outstrips supply, the domestic energy regulator said this month. (Reuters)
