Litomyšl Welcomes Important Visitor. Minister of the Environment Petr Hladík Visits Biomethane Plant

Emphasis on renewable energy in harmony with environmental protection. This is one of the main ideas which connects us with the Ministry of the Environment. Biomethane plays one of the key roles in the renewable energy sector and could help to make the domestic gas industry significantly greener in the future.

That is one of the reasons why during his recent visit to the Pardubice Region, Minister of the Environment Petr Hladík also visited the Agricultural Cooperative of Breeders and Growers in Litomyšl. There he was able to see for himself operation of the first agricultural biomethane plant in the Czech Republic for which we were the main supplier of biomethane technology.

“The Government of the Czech Republic clearly sees the future of energy in a mix of nuclear power and renewable sources. According to a study by Deloitte conducted for the Modern Energy Union, construction of renewable energy sources could also improve household incomes by CZK 145 billion, increase production in the Czech Republic by CZK 721 billion and create 34,000 jobs. Each and every investment in the development of renewable energy sources or in energy savings will generate substantial returns for the state,” added Petr Hladík, speaking to Deník veřejné správy.

Apart from the Minister of the Environment, the meeting was also attended by David Šimek, MP, member of the Environment Committee and Mayor of Svitavy, and by Radomil Kašpar, Deputy Mayor of Litomyšl. Jan Pechanec, Director of the Agricultural Cooperative of Breeders and Growers in Litomyšl, acted as a guide to the Litomyšl site for the Minister of the Environment. “Apart from presenting the new technology, we discussed with Minister Hladík the issue of prices for issuing guarantees of origin and the system which provides insufficient support for biomethane. The minister’s visit was very specific and constructive,” said Jan Pechanec.

Radek Kundrata, CEO of HUTIRA, was also invited to the meeting. “I must say that Minister Hladík was very well versed in the field of biomethane and the mechanism of injection units. We are glad that he is inclined towards this medium, because compared to Western Europe, the Czech Republic is still critically lagging behind in the development of biomethane. However, with the arrival of Minister Hladík, we do see signs that the situation may start to improve,” said Radek Kundrata, adding that further discussions relating to biomethane are also taking place directly at the Ministry of the Environment. The last round of discussions took place during the last week of August.

We see great potential in the biomethane sector within our companies HUTIRA and HUTIRA green gas, in part thanks to the positive attitude of the Ministry. “We are currently working on 3 more injection units for biomethane plants which will help reduce the dependence of the Czech Republic and Slovakia on gas supplies from abroad. Apart from these injection units, we are also working intensively on other projects both in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.”  said Monika Zitterbartová, Executive Director of HUTIRA green gas in conclusion.