160 b) Methane drainage using a drainage gallery – this method allows for remarkably high demethanation efficiency of 80-90%. Due to its very high cost, it is rarely used, only in cases of extremely high absolute methane content in the wall and under favourable mining and geological conditions. The natural development of methane drainage at JSW S.A. plants is the implementation of directional drilling technology. The use of directional drilling techniques and technologies will primarily increase the efficiency of longwall methane drainage. A directional borehole of a suitable diameter and length, with a horizontal or slightly inclined section, located appropriately in relation to the exploited seam, plays a key role and is comparable in concept to a drainage gallery. This technology is intended to replace classic methane drainage. Of course, the number of directional boreholes drilled in relation to the absolute methane content of the wall will determine the desired effectiveness of methane extraction. With this solution, the directional boreholes remain active behind the wall face, which further extends their operating time, ultimately transitioning to the post-mining methane extraction stage. This solution should increase the efficiency of methane removal to around 70%. Methane capture will therefore be intensified, which will have a measurable impact on improving work safety and reducing methane emissions into the atmosphere. Methane drainage of longwall using directional drilling is the first pillar of the METH2GEN Project, which is being implemented at JSW by a consortium consisting of four research units in Poland: the Oil and Gas Research Institute, the Central Mining InstituteNational Research Institute, the Polish Geological Institute, and the AGH University of Science and Technology, as well as two foreign entities: INSEMEX from Romania and the University of Oviedo from Spain. Methane drainage using directional drilling is an opportunity for the Company to implement modern technology, reduce costs, and upskilling its own personnel. Until now, the use of this method for methane drainage in mining workings has been limited due to the low supply of such services among Polish drilling companies. Therefore, building up our own expertise in this area will, in the long term, improve safety, reduce methane emissions into the atmosphere and reduce drainage costs at all JSW plants. The second pillar of the METH2GEN project concerns the production of hydrogen from unused residual gas from methane drainage stations. What is residual gas? It is gas captured and unused in installations for the production of electricity and heat. For technological reasons, it is extremely difficult to fully use the methane captured in these installations. The METH2GEN project aims to solve this problem through the use of gas storage facilities. Gas that was released into the atmosphere for technological reasons will be captured in intermediate storage facilities and then sent to a purification plant to remove unwanted substances and gases, before finally reaching the hydrogen production plant. This is also extremely important in view of the provisions of the “Methane Regulation.” According to Article 22(1), methane emissions from methane drainage stations are completely prohibited. Together with leading research institutes in Poland, we have decided to combine the solution to this problem with hydrogen production. The hydrogen part of the project will be based on steam methane reforming (SMR) technology, which is a mature hydrogen production technology used worldwide. However, it has not yet been used to use gas from mine methane drainage. Steam methane reforming
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