Polish Kozienice Coal Plant Ordered to Repair Vistula River Damage

The Regional Directorate for Environmental Protection (RDOŚ) in Warsaw has issued a formal notice to Enea Wytwarzanie, the owner of the Kozienice coal power plant, requiring the company to devise remedial measures within 60 days to address damage to the Vistula River ecosystem. Independent research indicates the plant’s open‑cycle cooling system draws more than 100 million fish larvae and juveniles each year, representing roughly half of the drift‑fish population and affecting several protected species.

Enea contests the ruling, stating it will await detailed evidence and that it already monitors the plant’s environmental impact. The company’s statement said, “Calling for any entity to take remedial actions without a formal decision supported by evidence is completely unfounded.” Environmental NGOs, including the Society for the Earth and EKO‑UNIA, have highlighted the issue since 2019 and note that Kozienice is one of twelve Polish plants using open‑water cooling, none of which had previously faced remediation orders. The plant’s operations also raise river temperatures by up to 3 °C downstream.

The directive marks the first instance in Poland where a state body has formally held a power producer accountable for ecological damage, prompting broader debate over the use of open cooling systems at aging coal and gas facilities.