In 2017 the Enea Group launched a new 1075 MW supercritical power block at the Kozienice Power Station, which is the most advanced power unit in Poland and the largest coal-fired unit in Europe. It is also one of the most efficient systems of its kind in the world. As such, it considerably strengthens Poland’s energy security. The advanced supercritical technology makes it possible to reduce CO₂ emissions by ca. 25% as compared to other existing black coal-fired power units.

The year 2017 saw the first edition of Enea's internship programme, Zainstaluj się w Enei (Install yourself at Enea). As a result, 10 most capable participants were offered jobs across the Group. The scheme is dedicated to young, ambitious students and graduates who are eager to gain unique industry experience and develop their business abilities (in technical and operational matters, law and administration, finance and accounting, HR, IT, and trade). The internships last for a year. Seventy percent of the participants of the first edition were offered jobs at Enea. The second edition welcomed another group of 16 interns.

In 2017 the Enea Group became the owner of the Połaniec Power Station, having purchased 100% of ENGIE Energia Polska stock from the French utility company ENGIE. As a result, Enea acquired the largest power plant of its kind in southeastern Poland, thus contributing to Poland’s energy security. The plant had undergone considerable modernisation over the past years to increase its efficiency and adapt its machinery to the existing environmental standards, including those set by the Industrial Emissions Directive. Now, the three power plants of Kozienice, Bogdanka, and Połaniec jointly possess eight units with the combined power of 1.9 GW, more than 200 MW of which comes from one of the world’s largest ‘green power units’ that utilises biomass sourced from local suppliers.

Enea Akademia Talentów (Enea Talent Academy) is a scheme offering scholarships to talented primary and middle school students, as well as supporting state primary and middle schools with grants to implement programmes of student talent development. The scheme was offered in the regions where Enea operates. Each student scholarship amounted to 3000 zloty, while the grants came to 10 000 złoty each. The first edition lasted from September 2017 to January 2018. Twenty-two young people, 11 primary school students and 11 middle school students, were granted assistance in three categories: academic achievement, artistic achievement, and sporting achievement. Nine schools were awarded grants to implement interesting educational projects. The scheme will be continued in 2018.

In 2017 Enea completed one of its top investment projects: the state-of-the-art Central Power Dispatch for the integrated management and control of its high voltage distribution network in northwestern Poland. The new system will make it possible to react quickly, flexibly, and systemically to any unexpected events occurring across the 110 kV network belonging to Enea. What is more, the system uses Polish IT solutions. The investment will ensure that electricity is supplied to consumers without disruptions by enabling the operator to localise and eliminate any failures along the way.

In 2017 the Enea Group became a member of Polski Autobus Elektryczny – łańcuch dostaw dla elektromobilności (Polish Electric Bus: The Supply Chain for Electromobility). The cluster aims to promote joint actions for the development of e-mobility in Poland, in particular electric buses and their components, based on Polish technologies. The collaboration between energy and automotive companies is meant to facilitate faster R&D and implementation. In particular, this includes developing an electric transit bus design with an improved efficiency achieved with better energy management, upgraded motor and battery , innovative methods of charging, and new standards of engineer training in e-mobility. With Enea as one of its members, the cluster will be able to work out systemic solutions to create the infrastructure for charging electric vehicles. Working to develop electromobility is one of Enea's strategic priorities, as the Group wants to build its potential on innovations in this field.

In mid-2017 Enea joined Program Karta Dużej Rodziny (Big Family Card Programme), having signed an agreement with the Polish Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy. ENERGIA+ Rodzina (ENERGY+ Family) is Enea’s new package dedicated to families with three children and more. The card comes with a range of discounts on recreational activities and other daily expenses, driving big families’ cost of living down. Now, eligible families will be able to buy electricity for less.

In a constant effort to offer its Customers advanced communication options, in 2017 the Enea Group launched an online chat on its website www.enea.pl. Alongside with the helpline and Online Customer Service, the chat offers a convenient way to contact Enea’s consultants with general questions as well as queries about billing and payments, meter readings, or any customer service issues

In the second half of 2017, Enea’s distribution area saw dangerous weather occurrences of unprecedented scale and number. Violent storms and two cyclonic winds, Grzegorz and Ksawery, destroyed nearly 3600 utility poles and almost 450 km of electric lines. Restoring energy supply to over one million consumers affected by the extreme weather was a great challenge for Enea and one to which we manage to respond successfully mostly thanks to the dedication and fantastic efforts of our employees. We are happy that thanks to their excellent organisation, electricity and, in the case of the autumn windstorms, heat returned to our Customers’ homes faster.

In the face of the devastation left behind by the storms on the night of 11/12 August 2017, the Enea Foundation took the decision to help with the recovery efforts of local communities. Many people lost their houses, while public infrastructure was badly affected too. The elements wreaked the worst havoc on the Pomorskie, Kujawski-Pomorskie, and Wielkopolskie provinces. Over 400 km of electric lines needed to be repaired and more than 2500 utility poles set up again. The Foundation donated over a million Polish zloty to causes pointed out by the local authorities, including the renovation and rebuilding of infrastructure and public buildings. Donations were also made to local volunteer fire departments for specialist equipment needed in the aftermath of natural disasters.

At Enea we feel impelled to support local communities in different aspects of their life, the local labour market, and local initiatives. We work to protect the natural environment as much as we can: we follow generally accepted rules and guidelines, organise educational and environmental projects engaging local communities and young people, and raise awareness about what it actually means to protect the air, soil, and rivers. Inspired by the fact that 2017 had been declared The Vistula Year, and considering that the systems of our most important investment, the Kozienice powerhouse, are cooled using the water from the river, we decided to run an educational campaign about responsible management of the natural resources, including water. As part of the campaign, we organised talks and competitions, released juvenile fish in the river, held debates and exchanged experiences with the campaign’s partner, the Polish Angling Association. Thanks to the campaign, and the involvement of local communities, we managed to raise environmental awareness among the residents of Kozienice, including – crucially – many of the region’s young people.

The Enea Foundation is a patron of Enea Akademia Sportu (Enea Sports Academy), a scheme that aims to promote physical activity and healthy lifestyle among children and young people in four provinces of Enea’s distribution area. In 2017 over 3000 children participated in volleyball competitions and full body workout sessions as part of Enea Sports Academy. What is more, around 1000 children and youth from 30 schools in Poznań and its environs took part in the Enea Little Volleyball League.

For years, employee volunteering, both of the traditional and skill-based type, has been going strong at Enea. We have two ongoing skill-based volunteering programmes: Pierwsza Pomoc (First Aid), as part of which teams of paramedics, including Enea employees, give first aid presentations, and Nie taki prąd straszny (Electricity Ain’t That Scary), which involves classes on energy sources and proper use of electricity for children led by Enea employees.

In 2017 we also continued to implement our grant programmes. As part of Biegamy-Zbieramy-Pomagamy (We Run–We Collect–We Donate) employees of the Enea Group take part in running competitions to collect points that are then converted into money (1 point = 100 zloty). This way, we managed to raise enough funds to organise the Enea Athletics Camp, which had over 100 children from children’s homes along with Enea employees’ children participate in field and track training led by an Olympic champion and professional coaches. Our second flagship grant programme Potęga poMocy (The Power of Helping) aims to support social action projects at the local level. As part of the scheme, Enea employees nominate worthy local initiatives for grants. Three winning projects receive 3000 zloty each.

Apart from the ongoing schemes, in 2017 Enea employees were also involved in ad hoc volunteering actions. They helped revitalise the gardens of the Palladium Hospice and Family Support Centre in Poznań, painted the Oratorium Światełko community centre in Poznań, took part in Children’s Day festivities at the children hospitals in Poznań and Kozienice, as well as Christmas carolling concerts for the beneficiaries of Fundacja Pomocy Dzieciom z Chorobami Nowotworowymi (Foundation for Children with Cancer) in Poznań.