Challenges and Opportunities for End-of-Life Coal Mine Sites: Black-to-Green Energy Approach

Abstract

This paper presents the possibilities of adapting active mines to generate green energy after their closure using their resources and/or infrastructure. For this purpose, firstly, the temporal horizon of selected mines in Poland was determined, its basic assumption being the analysis of the current state. In the research, 18 mining plants operating within 12 mines in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (USCB) were analyzed. The analyzed mines belong to three of the five largest hard coal producers in Poland, and the main object of exploitation is hard coal of energy types. Severe restrictions or even abandonment of further investments in the development of the coal mining industry were taken into consideration (regarding the construction of new shafts or the development of new exploitation levels). When determining the temporal horizon, the challenges that hamper the exploitation based at the levels of natural hazards and depth of exploitation in each mine were considered. Secondly, the criteria for the adaptation of active mines to generate energy are presented. The possibility of using the resources and infrastructural potential of active mines to produce geothermal energy from water, extracting coalbed methane (CBM), and processes of underground coal gasification (UCG) are analyzed. Finally, for a selected example—generating energy from underground coal gasification in Polish mine conditions—a structural analysis of the criteria was performed using the MICMAC method, as the Central Mining Institute has an extensive experience in the development of underground coal gasification trials in coal mines. Based on expert analysis and using structural analysis, the criteria important for UCG were selected. As demonstrated in the article, the MICMAC method can be applied in other scenarios with different criteria to implement new technologies in coal mines.

Cluster Analysis of the EU-27 Countries in Light of the Guiding Principles of the European Green Deal, with Particular Emphasis on Poland

“…To ensure a smooth exit from coal, the European Commission established the Platform for Coal Regions in Transition [47]. Thus, the withdrawal from coal mining in most Western European countries is part of the EU climate and energy policy, which assumes achieving climate neutrality in the EU by 2050 [48][49][50]. Unfortunately, as the presented results of research conducted by the authors have shown, coal is often replaced with other fossil fuels, such as natural gas or crude oil.…”

New Uses for Coal Mines as Potential Power Generators and Storage Sites

“…As can be seen in Figure 1, in Europe, for example, the production of coal has been declining and has become residual. In fact, coal mining and extraction has been eliminated in countries such as the Netherlands (1970), Belgium (1990), France (2004) and Spain (2018) [1]. This is not limited to the European space; in fact, in recent years, the dominant position of coal in the energy consumption of China, the world's largest GHG emitter, has not changed, but the share of coal in its energy consumption has been decreasing year by year [2], so much so that the share of energy from natural gas and non-fossil fuels increased significantly from 17.9% in 2015 to 25.9% in 2022 [3].…”

Metody rewitalizacji obszarów pokopalnianych na przykładzie światowych realizacji architektonicznych i studiów własnych

“…It is a complicated process connected not only with the transformation of the landscape but also closely related to spatial development, urban planning, housing, transport, social issues, the economy, and employment structure. Thus, the final phase of mining, that is closing mines down, is not the ultimate stage on the way to achieving the goals of the Green Deal, but just a step towards restoring full functionality to a given region [5]. Before it produces an intended effect, the revitalisation process of former mine areas can last for years and encounter numerous problems [6].…”