Environmentalists: Czech plants Ledvice and Počerady to emit half a tonne less mercury under limits deal

The coal-fired power plants Ledvice and Počerady in northern Bohemia will release half a tonne less mercury into the environment thanks to an agreement on emissions limits. This was calculated by environmentalists and staff from non-governmental organisations who pushed for lower emissions ceilings. The plants have installed filters and other technologies to reduce emissions.

Organisations also secured lower limits, shorter exemptions and emissions ceilings for other facilities. At Počerady and Ledvice, experts from these organisations calculated the difference between the power plant operators’ original proposals for mercury emissions and the limits ultimately approved. The result is 532 kilograms of toxic mercury that will not enter the natural environment, Jiří Koželouh of Hnutí Duha (Friends of the Earth Czech Republic) told the Czech News Agency (ČTK).

For Počerady, in the Louny District and operated by Sev.en Česká energie, the regional authority set a maximum total volume of emissions that may be released until the plant ceases operations. This is 30 percent lower than the original proposal. The Ledvice power plant in the Teplice District, owned by ČEZ, had sought an exemption until the end of next year but was granted one until June 2026, which environmentalists say will reduce mercury emissions by 156 kilograms. “It is also important that, in these cases, the non-governmental organisations and the operator ultimately agreed on a solution,” representatives of Greenpeace Czech Republic, Frank Bold and Hnutí Duha said in a joint press release.