1442 ● reduction of peak electricity consumption from the external grid; ● significant mitigation of methane emissions, corresponding to several to tens of thousands of tonnes of CO₂ equivalent annually. Compared to photovoltaic generation, the methane module provides higher operational predictability and dispatchability, thereby serving as a balancing component during periods of reduced renewable energy output. From an economic perspective, capital expenditure constitutes a significant barrier to implementation. For a desalination facility with a capacity of 10,000 m³/day, investment costs may reach several tens of millions of euros, depending on the configuration of mineral recovery systems and auxiliary infrastructure. Photovoltaic installations of 5–10 MWp typically require investments in the range of 4–8 million euros, while methane capture and utilization systems involve additional dedicated infrastructure. However, these expenditures must be evaluated in relation to long-term baseline costs, including: ● the long-term costs of continuous mine water drainage and discharge, ● rising electricity costs, ● potential environmental fees and regulatory costs related to methane emissions. Within this framework, the transformation model does not eliminate costs but restructures them into more predictable financial flows, partially offset by revenue streams (e.g., energy production, mineral recovery) and avoided environmental charges. A substantial limitation concerns the regulatory framework. In many jurisdictions, the reuse of mine water and the recovery of raw materials from brines are not unequivocally classified as resource recovery activities but are instead treated as waste management operations. This classification may extend administrative procedures by several dozen months, thereby increasing investment risk and reducing project feasibility at scale. Moreover, the absence of clear long-term liability frameworks for post-mining infrastructure following cessation of extraction may constrain investment planning over time horizons exceeding 20 years—despite the fact that water management systems typically require such operational periods. The results presented are based on a reference set of technical and environmental parameters. Actual performance may vary by ±20–30%, depending on site-specific hydrogeological conditions, infrastructure availability, and final technological configuration. The most sensitive parameters include: ● the actual volume of methane available for capture; ● the detailed chemical composition of brines; ● the long-term energy efficiency and operational stability of treatment systems. Despite the identified technical, economic, and regulatory constraints, the proposed model exhibits significant replication potential in facilities characterized by mine water flows in the range of 5,000–20,000 m³/day and access to post-mining land suitable for renewable energy deployment. In the Upper Silesian Coal Basin, this suggests that the model could potentially be applied to more than a dozen facilities. At a regional scale, such implementation could result in a cumulative reduction of several hundred thousand tonnes of salt loads annually, accompanied by a substantial decrease in greenhouse gas emissions. Overall, the discussion confirms that integrated transformation of post-mining infrastructure is technically feasible and environmentally beneficial, provided that economic optimization and regulatory adaptation accompany technological deployment. 6. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR INDUSTRY The analysis demonstrates that the transformation of the Brzeszcze Mine provides a practical,
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