1318 engines powered by methane captured by methane drainage, with a target total capacity of 48 MWel. The annual production potential of „green” electricity will be 330,000. MWh, which will cover 33% of JSW SA's electricity demand. It is assumed that pro-ecological measures will reduce methane emissions into the atmosphere by a total of 80 million m3 CH4, which gives about 1.6 million Mg CO2 eq. The so-called Methane Strategy implemented at Polska Grupa Górnicza SA focuses mainly on increasing methane capture and improving its management, while ensuring a high level of safety in mining operations and crew work. Greater efficiency in methane drainage will significantly reduce methane emissions from ventilation shafts. The methane strategy aims to maximise the utilisation of economically captured methane to at least 90 per cent in the coming years. PGG SA, thanks to investments in modern technologies that enable the capture and use of methane from mines in gas cogeneration engines, currently operates 11 such units with a total power output of 20.5 MW. In the development plans for 2025-2027, it is planned to build another 6÷7 methane-powered generators with a total capacity of 9÷11 MW, which will increase the current potential by approximately 45%. As a result, this will allow for a significant reduction in methane emissions from methane drainage stations in a relatively short time. The strategy aims to reduce methane emissions by 33% by 2030. The construction of gas flares to burn unused methane from methane drainage stations, with a nominal combustion efficiency of at least 99%, is also being considered. At Południowy Koncern Węglowy SA, as part of the adopted strategies for reducing methane emissions, work is being carried out on the modernisation and expansion of the methane drainage station in ZG „Brzeszcze” in order to increase methane capture and its more efficient use, expanding and increasing the capacity of methane drainage pipelines aimed at reducing methane emissions from ventilation air and the possibility of pre-mining methane drainage of the deposit through holes from the surface. Currently, talks are also underway with representatives of PROFILE Sp. z o. o. regarding the possibility of implementing an installation for catalytic post-combustion of methane at low concentrations contained in ventilation air (MARCO technology). 8. POLISH CONTRIBUTION TO INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGIES OF THE FUTURE In the last decade, in the conditions of Polish hard coal mining, over 80% of total methane emissions from coal mines (84.1% in 2024) are released into the atmosphere through ventilation shafts together with the used air (446.3 million m3 CH4 for 2024), and with very low concentrations at the bottom mine on average 0.7÷1.2%, and on the surface at the ventilation shaft diffuser 0.2÷0.35%. In the world, and in Poland, a number of research and development projects are underway to develop technology at its disposal. Come on, many technologies have been created in the world thanks to these works (e.g. RTO, RCO, VAMCAT / CataVAM, VAMMIT) and devices enabling the use of methane from ventilation air as fuels (e.g. TFRR thermal reversible flow reactor, catalytic reversible flow reactor CFRR, methane concentrator, CGT and CCGT gas turbines, hybrid turbines). Their practical application in Polish mining faces significant challenges due to the low methane concentration in ventilation shafts. Most of these technologies for the efficient operation of a methane-air mixture with a methane concentration of at least 0.5 to 1.0%. A significant problem is also the low efficiency of these installations (several hundred m3/min) relative to the airflow in mine shaft ventilation, which exceeds 20,000 m3/min. The possibility of adapting the latest technologies to the conditions of the Polish coal mining world is one of the fundamental challenges today. Polish coal companies with units of scientific and research associated with the International Centre of Excellence in Mine Methane Coal in Poland, operating within the structures of the Central Mining Institute - State Institute of Research, carry out many research and development projects looking for effective solutions that will provide the chance to reduce methane emissions into the atmosphere. It is currently being implemented by the international consortium (22 partners), the project MasterMINE „European mining in the era of green and digital economy” (implementation 2023÷2026, co-financed from the Horizon Europe research fund). Involvement of Polish project partners (Jastrzębie Company Węglowa SA and Main Mining Institute - National Research Institute) focuses on developing an intelligent network, including hardware and software needs, supporting optimal methane drainage of hard coal mines. The end result of the project will be the modernisation of the existing methane drainage network in terms of its control capabilities from the surface or autonomous operation based on data from a properly developed sensor system.
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