15 October 2025 – Katowice, Poland
The Low2HighDH consortium convened in Katowice, Poland on 15 October 2025 for the first day of our project meeting, kindly hosted by Krajowa Agencja Poszanowania Energii (KAPE) at the Silesian Museum.
The Silesian Museum, located in the heart of Upper Silesia, is renowned not only for its extensive art, history, and industrial heritage collections, but also for its innovative integration of modern architecture with historic underground coal mine structures, offering a unique cultural setting for collaborative meetings.
The day was structured around in-depth presentations, discussions, and workshops focusing on the technical, market, and financial analyses of district heating (DH) systems in Poland, Lithuania, and Slovakia, as well as coordination of project activities.
The meeting opened with a warm welcome from Creara, the project coordination team, who outlined the meeting structure and objectives. The session set the stage for a productive day of sharing insights, reviewing progress, and discussing next steps for accelerating the adoption of low-temperature and renewable-based district heating solutions.
Technical, Market, and Financial Analyses
The morning sessions focused on Polish DH sites, beginning with a technical analysis presentation by KAPE. This covered current system configurations, the selection of low-grade renewable energy sources, proposed improvements, preliminary economic indicators, and decarbonization achievements. Creara followed with a market analysis, highlighting demand evolution, pricing, and expected revenues. GNE Finance then presented preliminary financial results, including profitability and indebtedness trends over the last three years as well as some financial indicators supporting the financial planning such as CAPEX, OPEX.
Next, KAPE introduced potential candidates for the 2nd CfA in Poland, followed by a Q&A session addressing the investment plans of Polish DH sites.
The morning continued with similar sessions for Lithuanian DH sites. The Lithuanian Energy Institute (LEI) presented the technical analysis, followed by CREARA’s market analysis and GNE Finance’s financial overview. LEI then presented potential Lithuanian candidates for the 2nd CfA, concluding with a Q&A session on investment plans.
The morning concluded with a brief update on ongoing communication and dissemination activities led by EP, before a well-deserved lunch break.
Afternoon Sessions: Slovak DH Sites and Workshops
The afternoon focused on Slovak DH sites, with Slovenská technická univerzita v Bratislave (STUBA) presenting technical analyses, Creara reviewing market data, and GNE Finance sharing preliminary financial results. Potential Slovak candidates for the 2nd CfA were discussed, followed by a session addressing investment strategies and opportunities.
The day concluded with a wrap-up by Creara and KAPE, outlining the agenda for Day 2 and a great social dinner in the downtown of Katowice – tasting delicious Silesian food with exciting new flavors in a cozy place where traditional dishes get a modern twist.
Day 1 of the Low2HighDH consortium meeting successfully combined presentations, workshops and discussions, enabling partners to align on technical, financial, and market strategies for pilot DH sites across Poland, Lithuania, and Slovakia. The sessions emphasized the importance of collaboration, standardization, and stakeholder engagement in driving the energy transition toward low-carbon, efficient district heating systems.
