Heating Plant Failure Disrupts Gdańsk and Sopot Schools

The news in Polish

1. ciepłownia  (f.)
   miejsce lub zakład, który produkuje ciepło dla wielu budynków, na przykład dla bloków i szkół ↩︎
2. chwilowo
   przez krótki czas, na razie, nie na stałe ↩︎
3. oszczędzać
   używać czegoś mniej, żeby tego nie zabrakło albo żeby wydać mniej pieniędzy ↩︎
4. awaria  (f.)
   nagłe zepsucie się maszyny, urządzenia lub instalacji, przez co przestaje działać ↩︎
5. mieszkaniec  (m.)
   osoby, które mieszkają w jakimś miejscu, na przykład w mieście albo w kraju ↩︎
6. wypożyczyć
   wziąć coś od kogoś na pewien czas, zwykle za opłatą, i potem oddać ↩︎

Translation

Text comprehension

Question 1: Why did the city close schools and swimming pools in Gdańsk and Sopot?

Question 2: How are students continuing their education while the schools are closed?

Vocabulary

Polish	English
ciepłownia  (f.)	heating plant
chwilowo	temporarily
oszczędzać	to save
awaria  (f.)	breakdown
mieszkaniec  (m.)	inhabitants
wypożyczyć	to borrow (rent)

Read the full story

A major heating plant failure in Gdańsk, in northern Poland, has left parts of the cities of Gdańsk and Sopot with reduced or interrupted heating in the middle of a cold spell. Local authorities have set up a crisis team and temporarily closed many schools and public sports facilities while repairs continue.

The incident began on Monday, when one of the main boilers at the Gdańsk combined heat and power plant malfunctioned. According to representatives of the company PGE Energia Ciepła, a leak or defect in a key component forced operators to lower the parameters of the heat supplied to the municipal network. Officials said the temperature in the district heating network dropped by about 10–15 percent, which can mean noticeably cooler flats and, in some places, temporary breaks in heating.

The failure affects seven districts of Gdańsk – including Żabianka, Oliwa, Strzyża, Stogi, Śródmieście (the city centre), and parts of Orunia – as well as the neighbouring resort city of Sopot. City leaders explained that the areas at the end of the heating network are experiencing the biggest problems, which is why many residents in Sopot and some Gdańsk districts have seen a significant drop in indoor temperatures.

During a press conference, the head of the municipal heating company GPEC and the mayor of Gdańsk, Aleksandra Dulkiewicz, outlined the response. They stressed that the priority is to keep temperatures in homes at a “bearable and acceptable” level. To achieve this, the city is temporarily reducing heat supply to some public buildings so that more energy remains available for residential blocks. The heating network is currently operating at roughly 700 megawatts instead of the usual 800, which, according to the company, should be enough to get through several days, though conditions will remain difficult until repairs are complete.

Technicians have been working to fix the damaged boiler since Monday. Officials from PGE Energia Ciepła and local government say they expect the fault to be removed by Wednesday, with the heating system returning to full power by around Wednesday or Thursday. Until then, residents have been warned to prepare for cooler rooms, especially in older buildings connected to the city network.

Because of the lower temperatures, both cities have introduced changes in schools. In Gdańsk, most primary and secondary schools that rely on district heating have suspended in‑person classes. Lessons in upper secondary schools (for older pupils) are being held online, while primary schools are limiting or cancelling standard lessons. However, the city has promised that every primary school will still provide daytime care for children whose parents cannot stay at home.

There are twelve exceptions in Gdańsk: schools and educational centres with their own independent heating systems. These include several primary schools, a secondary school, and a state music school. In these buildings, classes continue as usual because they are not dependent on the damaged heating plant.

In Sopot, the deputy mayor Michał Banacki announced that all primary and secondary schools in the city have suspended regular on‑site teaching from Tuesday to Thursday. Primary schools are offering supervised care for younger pupils who cannot stay at home, while older students will learn remotely. By contrast, nurseries, kindergartens, the municipal cultural centre and the local music school continue to operate normally, as they either have adequate heating or are treated as priority facilities.

The heating problems have also affected sports and recreation centres. The Gdańsk Sports Centre announced the temporary closure of all municipal swimming pools from Tuesday to Thursday to save heat for residential buildings. The decision covers pools in several Gdańsk districts, such as Osowa, Orunia, Chełm and Stogi, as well as an indoor pool in Sopot. City officials emphasised that, in the current situation, ensuring safe temperatures in apartments must come before keeping leisure facilities open.

To help people cope at home, the municipal heating company in Gdańsk has offered residents of both Gdańsk and Sopot the possibility to borrow electric heaters and fan heaters. Authorities say this is a temporary measure intended to support the most affected households while central heating output remains reduced.

Local media and officials present the event as a serious but technical incident, rather than a long‑term energy shortage. On one hand, they highlight the inconvenience and worry for residents during a period of severe frost, especially families with children and older people living in the worst‑hit districts. On the other hand, they underline that the system is still delivering most of its usual capacity and that energy companies and city services are working continuously to restore full heating, with a clear timetable for repairs.

The situation in Gdańsk and Sopot offers an example of how Polish cities, which often rely on large district heating systems, respond when a central plant experiences a failure. By moving schools to remote learning, closing pools and other public buildings, and providing extra electric heaters, the authorities aim to reduce health risks and keep essential services running until the heating plant is fully operational again.

Info: ‘Polish Learner News’ is a service from ‘Let’s Learn Polish’, a language school offering courses for those who wish to learn Polish online. We provide different types of online Polish classes suitable for a range of learning needs and levels.