Project name: “Reduction of methane emissions from post-mining goafs to minimise their inflow into VAM”
Acronym: REM
Contest: Big Tickets for Coal as part of the Research Fund for Coal and Steel,
Purpose of the project: The REM is a research and implementation project.
The REM project will begin with the study of abandoned post-mining areas in order to determine the locations of aeration, methane accumulation and escape of methane into ventilation air. This way, the locations will be selected where the rock mass must be sealed, the locations of direct methane capture (isolation stoppings) as well as the locations, to which directional bores will be drilled in order to capture the methane accumulating in those locations. On this basis, a parallel methane drainage system with reduced concentration of methane in captured gas will be developed. For this system to be built, a design will have to be drawn up, including construction of surface methane drainage stations, a network of underground pipelines to methane capture locations, methane capture from directional bores and from behind isolation stoppings with automatic measurements of the composition and quantity of gas captured, as well as the possibility of automatic control at these capture locations. Based on the above design, the construction and installation work will be carried out.
The methane extracted from post-mining goafs will be used to produce electricity in gas engines connected to power generators.
The project will ultimately be rolled out in all JSW mines. It can also be successfully used in any multi-level coal mine in the world with multi-seam deposits.
The project is implemented by an international consortium comprised of 6 partners:
- Central Mining Institute, Poland – Project Coordinator
- Oil and Gas Institute – National Research Institute, Poland
- Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa S.A., Poland
- Polish Geological Institute – National Research Institute, Poland
- Universidad de Oviedo, Spain
- Institutul Naţional de Cercetare-Dezvoltare pentru Securitate Miniera si Protectie Antiexploziva Insemex Petrosani, Romania
Project value: PLN 21,493,154.32
JSW S.A.’s share in project value: EUR 16,214,545.04
Subsidy amount: EUR 10,746,577.16
Subsidy for JSW S.A.: EUR 8,107,272.52
Project execution period: 2023-2027
