1441 Table 4 – Assessment of the model's replication potential in other mines Criterion Brzeszcze mine Other mines in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin EU post-mining regions Occurrence of mine waters High High Medium - high Available infrastructure High Medium - high Varied Renewable energy potential Medium Medium Medium - high Model scalability - High Moderate Replication potential - High Medium The results obtained indicate that the proposed model demonstrates high scalability across several key parameters, including: ● mine water flows in the range of 5,000–20,000 m³/day; ● photovoltaic installation capacities of 2–20 MWp; ● methane capture volumes ranging from pilot-scale systems to full-scale CHP installations. The model is therefore adaptable to mining facilities of varying sizes and hydrogeological conditions. Its replication potential is assessed as high for other mines in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin and moderate to high for post-mining regions within the European Union, subject to site-specific technical and regulatory conditions. Overall, the results demonstrate that the integrated transformation approach substantially reduces environmental pressures, improves energy efficiency and emission performance, and enhances the long-term functional value of post-mining infrastructure. 5. DISCUSSION The proposed transformation model for the Brzeszcze Mine demonstrates that facilities in the phaseout stage can be reconfigured from entities generating long-term environmental liabilities into active environmental and energy infrastructure hubs. The quantitative assessment indicates that the integrated solution enables a reduction in salt loads discharged to surface waters of approximately 70,000–185,000 tonnes per year, a decrease in indirect CO₂ emissions of 4,000–7,000 tonnes per year, and a direct reduction in methane emissions corresponding to 0.5–2.0 million m³ CH₄ annually. One of the principal technical constraints is the hydrochemical variability of mine waters, particularly their high salinity (30–60 g/dm³) and temporal fluctuations. For membrane-based treatment systems, such variability necessitates the design of installations capable of operating over a wide range of pressures and flow rates. Salinity fluctuations of 20–30% may result in substantial changes in process efficiency and specific energy consumption. Under the assumed operating conditions, the energy demand of desalination processes is estimated at 2.5–4.5 kWh per cubic meter of treated water, depending on feedwater composition and the selected NF/RO configuration. For an average flow of 10,000 m³/day, this corresponds to an annual electricity demand of approximately 20–25 GWh. These values confirm that mine water treatment systems remain energy-intensive even when supported by renewable energy integration. In this context, the methane capture and utilization module plays a critical system-stabilizing role. Assuming a capture potential of 0.5–2.0 million m³ CH₄ per year, the associated primary energy potential is approximately 5–20 GWh per year, depending on the efficiency of the cogeneration units. Even under conservative assumptions, this allows: ● coverage of approximately 10–40% of the water treatment system’s energy demand;
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTM0Mzk2