Volkswagen in Poland looks to new heating project for technology transfer

According to Volkswagen Poznań (VWP), the company has started a unique project in Europe for heat recovery from industrial processes to satisfy the needs of urban heating, and could export the technology to other regions, according to the company. Currently, VWP’s foundry currently provides heat to as many as 30 nearby buildings, in both Poznań and Dębiec, including a hospital. VWP indicated on Thursday that the project will be expanded. Cooperation by VWP and the company Veolia Energy Poznań will allow, among other things, for a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, by way of using the VWP foundry and Veolia’s substation for generating heat. The heat will be applied directly to the municipal heating system. As reported in Thursday's official opening ceremony of the project, transmitted heat can warm up to 2,000 apartments. Jarosław Pawluk, a VW managing director who attended the project’s opening ceremony on Thursday, said, “With this project, process heat resulting from the foundry process can be further used by our neighbors. Module heat recovery is one of the many activities that Volkswagen Poznań has for the protection of the environment.” He added that the solution applied in Poznań is also unique in Europe. Pawluk indicated that the process has potential for applications in other areas of Europe, in other industrial plants. VWP is one of the largest foundries in Europe, employing more than 1,000 employees. It manufactures cylinder heads for engines, steering gear housing, supports for the front axle suspension, cylinder head covers and clutch housing and gearbox, while Veolia Energy in Poznań is a manufacturer of system heat and electricity cogeneration, and manages heating network.