158 the possibility of using methane from ventilation air to produce heat and energy. The concentration of methane in the exhaust shafts of JSW S.A. mines does not allow for the use of this methane; in this case, only its disposal can be considered. It should be emphasised that, as shown by tests carried out as part of the project at the Barbara Experimental Mine, this process requires the supply of significant amounts of electricity for the proper operation of the installation when the methane concentration in the air is below 0.4%. Ventilation air parameters such as dust content, humidity, and gas concentrations vary over time and depend on the characteristics of the currently exploited seams, atmospheric conditions on the surface, as well as random events occurring during the operation of the mining plant. The above factors have a significant impact on the design, construction, and operation of such a system, and thus also on the costs, which are already extremely high. The shrinking European hard coal mining sector is certainly not able to bear the cost of introducing such technology on an industrial scale on its own. The construction of a VAM disposal system has a positive impact on the environment but is economically unjustified. Furthermore, there are still many unknowns. These include the size of the plant and the possibility of its construction on limited, available land, as well as its legal basis in mining regulations. 4. AUTOMATION OF MEASUREMENTS AND CONTROL Improving the efficiency of mine methane drainage should not be based solely on improving the efficiency of demethanation in mining faces. Every source of methane emissions, even the smallest one, has an impact on the overall annual methane content. In such large multi-seam mining plants as JSW S.A. mines, there are many methane collection points. There are entire closed post-mining areas from which methane is captured along with dozens of isolation dams. Methane extraction pipelines and equipment are under constant supervision by the plant's ventilation services. Gas parameters in the methane extraction network are not constant; the flow rate and methane concentration in the captured gas vary over time. Atmospheric pressure has a significant impact on methane emissions and, consequently, on the performance of the entire methane extraction network. In the case of methane extraction in areas where there is no mining activity, this impact is even greater. Until now, network regulation and measurements at these points have been carried out by an employee of the in-situ ventilation department. The MASTERMINE project, financed by the Horizon Europe research fund, is being implemented by a consortium of 22 entities, including two from Poland: GIG-PIB and JSW S.A. The project aims to create a system enabling mines to digitize, develop sustainably while respecting the environment, and monitor productivity. The task of the Polish entities is to develop and install an automatic control and measurement point for the existing methane drainage network. The installation of such points in critical methane intake locations in underground workings is intended to solve the problems described above.
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