175 Energy demand coverage % 25 – 40 Potential salt recovery thousand tons/year 20 – 40 Methane capture and use (CH₄) – annual potential million m³/year 0.5 – 2.0 System operation horizon years > 20 Additionally, potential sources of methane emissions were identified, including active and historical methane drainage systems, abandoned underground workings, and post-mining goafs. This assessment provided the basis for incorporating a methane management module into the overall transformation concept. 3.2 Stage 2 - Concept of an integrated transformation system Based on the results of the technical analysis, a concept for an integrated transformation system was developed. The system is structured around four complementary and functionally interconnected technological pillars. The core component of the system is a mine water purification and desalination module designed in a hybrid configuration combining nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO). The reference configuration assumes a nominal treatment capacity of 10,000 m³/day, corresponding to the average discharge from the mine. The application of an NF/RO system enables: ● reduction of chloride and sulfate concentrations by 60–85%; ● production of permeate suitable for reuse as process or industrial water; ● reduction of the brine stream requiring further management to approximately 15–25% of the influent volume. As a result, the amount of salt discharged directly into the surface reservoir (the Vistula River) is significantly reduced, leading to a significant reduction in environmental pressure at the catchment level. The concentrated brine streams generated during membrane treatment constitute the input for the mineral recovery module. The conceptual variant assumes the application of thickening and crystallization processes to enable the recovery of mineral salts in solid form. For the assumed water flow and concentration parameters, the annual recovery potential was estimated at 20,000–40,000 tonnes of salt concentrates. Depending on the detailed chemical composition of the brine, selective recovery of additional components—including potentially critical raw materials—may be considered, in line with circular economic principles.
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