DrivePro® services enhance security of heat supply for 49,000 apartments in Gliwice

POLAND: The district heating company PEC (Przedsiębiorstwo Energetyki Cieplnej - Gliwice Sp. z o.o.) meets the needs of central heating and hot water throughout the city of Gliwice. PEC Gliwice serves 49,000 residential units, amounting to 62% of the city's apartments, as well as numerous public institutions, industrial or service, and commercial facilities.

The district heating plant in Gliwice serves an extensive 235-kilometre heating network and comprises advanced technical infrastructure. The heat generation infrastructure consists of two coal-fired boiler plants, two gas-fired boiler plants, a circulating water pumping station, electrostatic precipitators, desulphurisation, and denitrification plants.

To reduce energy consumption and extend the lifetime of machines. PEC installed VACON® drives from Danfoss to control the operation of fans, pumps, and conveyors.

To ensure ongoing correct operation of these drives, Danfoss authorized partner company Neisa performs regular audits.

The biggest challenge in the operations of PEC Gliwice is to provide safe and environmentally friendly heat for the buildings of Gliwice.

Security of distribution during the heating season is crucial, so it’s vital that the technical infrastructure is reliable. Only regular audits can guarantee failure-free operation of its various components. Moreover, inspections need to be carried out during the summer months, when the demand for PEC Gliwice's services is less than at other times of year.

At the same time, the district heating plant strives to achieve climate neutrality. In addition to investing in renewable energy, it also focuses on reducing the energy consumption of pump motors, fans, and conveyors.

To ensure reliable operation of the drives, Danfoss Drives authorised partner Neisa conducts regular DrivePro® Site Assessment audits. The Tychy-based company performs its inspections in the summer months, considering the needs of both the district heating plant and the residents of the city.

During each inspection, Neisa experts assess the technical condition of the drives to analyse the risks of potential failure. Based on the data collected, specialists carry out repairs. 

However, Neisa’s activities do not focus only on current repairs and maintenance. At each inspection, specialists assess whether there may be a risk of technical problems or a decline in performance in the foreseeable future, and on this basis prepare a list of recommen­dations for replacing equipment or its parts, in the longer term. Neisa’s recommendations are ranked by urgency. In this way, the Gliwice heating plant has time to prepare and assess which repairs specialists should carry out at the next preventive service to help prevent future failures.

The cyclical inspections provide the necessary information about the condition of the infrastructure, which enables PEC Gliwice to prepare a service schedule, as well as planning maintenance of equipment. The service and maintenance activities are also carried out during periods of low demand for heating, to reduce the risk of failure and ensure optimal operation in this crucial period. Audit data is also used to select equipment that needs to be upgraded.

By using correctly programmed variable speed drives, PEC Gliwice reduces the energy consumption of its pumps, conveyors, and fans, bringing them closer to climate neutrality.