156 ventilation air, to be used for electricity production. The benefits in terms of safety and environmental protection are obvious, as are the financial benefits resulting from savings in electricity purchases. 3. METHANE FROM VENTILATION AIR VAM – DISPOSAL OR UTILISATION? The purpose of ventilation in mines is to ensure a supply of fresh air and remove harmful substances in order to create safe working conditions. As mentioned earlier, a significant amount of methane is released during mining, some of which is captured through methane drainage, while the rest mixes with the air and is discharged into the atmosphere through exhaust shafts. For safety reasons, Polish mining regulations allow a maximum methane concentration of 0.75% in ventilation shafts. These values are much lower in shafts, averaging between 0.2% and 0.4%. The Methane Regulation adopted in 2024 concerning the energy sector imposes limits on methane emissions from ventilation shafts. It is not yet clear at what level they will be set for JSW S.A., because as a producer of coking coal, a strategic raw material for the EU economy, it is not currently covered by them. Table 6 - Air flow and methane concentration in the exhaustion shafts at JSW S.A.
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