PSE’s priorities concerning environmental protection

For identified significant environmental aspects, our company has defined the internal rules of procedure and supervision, aimed to ensure compliance with all legal requirements and the best possible conservation of natural resources.

We pursue a number of activities which further the achievement of the following objectives:

• meeting the permitted electromagnetic field levels in the environment outside the line right of way, as required by law,
• selecting locations for new projects that make it possible to limit the construction of power facilities in residential development areas,
• maintaining systems and equipment in good working order,
• advanced technological solutions for equipment and systems.

We perform tasks that contribute to meeting the permissible noise levels in the environment as required by law. This is achieved through measures relating to:

• selecting network infrastructure locations that make it possible to limit the construction of power facilities in residential development areas,
• quality control of the work performed,
• maintaining systems and equipment in good working order.

As a result of our activities, sanitary sewage is generated which is discharged into the combined sewer system, septic tanks or, after treatment in a biological sewage treatment plant, into the ground or into waters. There are biological sewage treatment plants on the sites of network facilities, using various treatment methods, including active sludge and sprinkling bed.

After treatment, the sewage meets the requirements of law and water management permits. Sewage treatment facilities are designed and built in accordance with the applicable standards, laws and regulations, and, in order to ensure correct operation, they undergo periodic maintenance and inspections. The quality of the sewage released into the environment is also subject to periodic control.

We do not carry on any production activity and therefore water consumption at our headquarters and at the substations is small. Nevertheless, we monitor water consumption under the Environmental Management System. Water is supplied to substation facilities from our own deep wells and from municipal water mains.

Wells are a source of supply to our 13 extra-high voltage substations. At the substation facilities, water is used for personal purposes of the substation personnel and for firefighting purposes.

At the substations with transformer units equipped with fire extinguishing systems, a small quantity of reservoir water is consumed for sprinkler system tests which are performed once a year. The measurement of consumer water quantity is based on the main water meter readings.

At our headquarters in Konstancin-Jeziorna, we use our own water intake. We have two deep wells. Water supplied to PSE field units comes from municipal mains.

For many years, we have performed selective collection of waste generated by the activities carried out at the site of grid assets and on the premises of PSE and its field locations. In order to standardise the rules of handing waste in our company, the “Instructions for waste management at PSE S.A.” have been prepared which apply both to waste generated by PSE and by third parties in the course of operation, maintenance, failure recovery, and new build and repair projects. One of the appendices to the Instructions is dedicated in whole to the rules of correct sorting of municipal waste generated by human living activities.

PSE’s office buildings and all electrical substations have been equipped with containers for selective collection of waste (including paper, plastics, glass, metals, spent life sources, batteries and contaminated absorbent). Most waste is collected at the place of generation. The rooms, areas and containers in which the different waste types are collected are duly marked.

Correct sorting of waste is also checked during inspections carried out on the sites of facilities. Presentation of the rules and obligations concerning waste sorting is one of the permanent training topics for the company’s newly hired employees.

Typical hazardous waste generated at our substations include e.g. spent mineral oils, batteries and absorbents. The greatest amount of waste is produced during work related to the implementation of upgrade investment projects, in particular the upgrading and construction of power facilities. The generators of waste are contractors responsible for the management of the waste. In the case of waste with a value the waste producer is PSE.

To ensure that contractors’ waste management activities comply with the applicable regulations, permanent supervision is maintained on the site of operating facilities and during the execution of investment projects.

We engage in activities aimed to:

• curtail the risk of emergency situation through preventive measures and the correct maintenance of facilities,
• maintain readiness to mitigate the environmental impact of failures caused by infrastructure owned by the company.

The volume of SF₆ gas which was emitted into the environment in 2019 was 28 percent smaller than a year before. In the case of insulating oil spills, an 80 percent decrease in the mass of oil-contaminated earth was reported compared with 2018.

Devices containing a significant quantity of insulating oil – transformers – are equipped with appropriate protection features, i.e. oil trays, which are designed to contain an emergency oil discharge in the event of an uncontrolled spill. In 2019, no significant spill of insulating oil having a negative environmental impact was recorded.

Equipment operated at PSE’s substation sites contain substances which may cause contamination when released into the environment. Such substances include mainly:

• insulating oil (transformers, oil circuit breakers, instrument transformers, shunt reactors, circuit breakers, capacitors),
• diesel oil (power generating sets),
• acids (battery electrolytes).

Due to the risk of equipment failure and related risk of spill of the above-mentioned substances, we endeavour to reduce their negative environmental impact as much as possible.

For this purpose, we have developed two documents:

• “Operational instructions for handling failures at an electrical substation of PSE S.A. posing the risk of environmental pollution with insulation oil”.
• “Operational instructions for handling hazardous substance spillage” (which also applies to PSE field locations). Moreover, each facility is equipped with the so-called environmental first aid kits – portable sets of absorbents for the collection of small spills to prevent spillage from spreading.