129 REDUCTION OF VENTILATION AIR METHANE EMISSIONS IN THE EUROPEAN UNDERGROUND COAL MINES (Extended abstract) * Jacek Skiba1, Bartłomiej Jura2, Robert Hildebrandt3, 1Department of Mining Aerology, Central Mining Institute-National Research Institute, Katowice, Poland 2Department of Mining Aerology, Central Mining Institute-National Research Institute, Katowice, Poland 3Experimental mine “Barbara” Central Mining Institute-National Research Institute, Katowice, Poland (*Presenting author: jskiba@gig.eu ) ABSTRACT Ventilation Air Methane (VAM) is the methane desorbed from coal seams or released from voids during mining, not captured by drainage but diluted by fresh air for safety reasons before venting the mixed gas to atmosphere via mine roadways and exhaust shafts. Typically, 70% of mine methane leaves an underground mine in the ventilation air. Reduction of Ventilation Air Methane emissions in the Coal Mining Transformation Process of European underground coal mines can be effectively done if four major obstacles: dust load, humidity, variable air and methane flows, which create unfavorable conditions for efficient implementation of VAM utilisation technologies in underground coal mines are properly curbed. DURR – largest global VAM utilisation facilities’ producer, JSW SA largest EU coking coal producer and experienced Polish, Spanish and Romanian scientific units took on this task under R&D ProVAM project, which results will be verified in in-situ conditions of Central Mining Institute-National Research Institute’s Experimental Mine “Barbara” in Poland putting it in RTL6. As the VAM units are considered to be very expensive equipment and methane gas contained in the VAM is very explosive-one the R&D approach was applied to test the impact of four above mentioned obstacles on efficient work of VAM unit. Numerical modelling and simulations of installations in mines operation will help to reach the goal, and the real coal mine data as an input will allow validation of the models. The expected results after all laboratory and in-situ tests will be achieved establishing an optimal input VAM parameters considering dust load, humidity, variable air and methane flows, to be able to maximise methane contained in VAM destruction process. Even partial destruction of VAM emissions will result in tremendous environmental effects making the objectives of Global Methane Pledge for mining sector realistic to achieve. Preliminary economic assessment of ProVAM looks promising enough to draw coal mines’ attention. ProVAM project results can be disseminated in 23 gassy EU coal mines (41 exhaust
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