Czech Opatovice Power Plant Secures Permit for Waste‑to‑Energy Facility

The Ministry of Industry and Trade approved the final appeal on the joint spatial and building permit for the Opatovice power plant's waste‑to‑energy (ZEVO) project in the Čeperka area. The ministry dismissed most of the submitted objections, confirming the decision of the Transport and Energy Construction Office. With all required permits now in place, the plant can begin preparatory work ahead of selecting a general contractor. The project, budgeted at about CZK 7 billion, will be funded roughly 60 % by the Modernisation Fund’s HEAT programme, with the remainder covered by the plant’s own investments. It is slated for completion and hand‑over between 2029 and 2030, processing around 150 000 tonnes of municipal waste annually and supplying heat to Pardubice, Hradec Králové, Chrudim and other municipalities. The plant aims to cease using brown coal by 2030, replacing it with natural gas, biomass, waste combustion and possibly solar panels as part of its decarbonisation plan. Local residents in Čeperka and nearby towns have repeatedly opposed the incinerator in referendums and appealed the permits.