Polish plans to support the construction of a highly efficient municipal waste treatment facility located in Gdańsk comply with EU State aid rules, the European Commission said.

The beneficiary of the aid is Port Czystej Energii (PCE), a municipally owned company. The project will be organised in the form of a public-private partnership between PCE and private partners selected by the beneficiary through a competitive procedure.

The Commission assessed the measure under EU State aid rules, in particular the Commission’s 2014 Guidelines on State aid for environmental protection and energy.

According to the Commission, the aid will contribute to the EU’s energy and environmental objectives without unduly distorting competition in the Single Market. In particular, cogeneration increases energy efficiency by recycling the heat from power generation for other uses (in this case, the public district heating), to the overall benefit of the environment.

The new installation will also help reduce municipal waste disposal in landfills by incinerating approximately 160.000 tonnes of waste that is currently landfilled, the Commission said, adding that it will contribute to reducing the use of fossil fuels and, hence, to reducing the level of CO2 emissions.