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R&D

R&D

Significant achievements

In the area of research and development, at the end of Q4 2017, the Group adopted the JSW Group’s Strategy of developing innovation. The major recommendations of the above Strategy include defining objectives to improve efficiency, quality, sefety and environmental impact of JSW’s core business, covering the following areas: deposit exploitation, work organization, communication systems, production processes, ventilation in the mines, safety, waste and the environment, land reclamation and diversification.

In 2017, the process of gradual implementation of the Strategy’s major assumptions was commenced. At the same time, within the framework of the launched project portfolio, the Group prrepared a number of research and development and innovation initiatives to be performed.

Types of initiatives within the project portfolio:

Types of initiatives within the project portfolio:

Initiatives at the level of jsw

Initiatives within JSW’s cooperation with the group companies

Initiatives within cooperation with scientific and research units and suppliers and producers of innovative solutions

  • Initiatives at the level of jsw
  • Initiatives within JSW’s cooperation with the group companies
  • Initiatives within cooperation with scientific and research units and suppliers and producers of innovative solutions

Key projects in research and development

In 2017, the Group began performing several key projects in research and development. The table presents the most important research and development projects that are on the agenda, developed on an ongoing basis, of the Group’s innovative activity.

  • Deposit model and production planning

    The IT system for managing deposit data, based on modern geostatistical algorithms and spatial visualizations, used to improve the quality of production planning, including strategic planning over a longer time span. The system allows both for the modelling of the geological structure and designing mining construction facilities with various purposes, with reference to the strategic assumptions concerning, among others: efficiency, coal quality, available equipment and human resources, etc. The target implementation assumes a change in the method of production planning not only in a strategic perspective but also on a short-term basis.

  • Tests of innovative drives

    A project performed to test cutting-edge drive technology in JSW’s mines in cooperation with leading suppliers of mining machinery and equipment. The project is intended to introduce to the production cycle the most recent technologies aimed at reducing breakdowns, increasing the flexibility of drive operation and control and lowering energy consumption. An example of this is the planned testing in KWK Pniówek of high-torque Caterpillar drives controlled by an assembly of voltage converters. This is one of the main innovation paths in this area of development of the mining industry.

  • Independent rockbolt support

    The project is being executed in cooperation with leading mining machinery manufacturers and scientific research units. The purpose of the project is to test currently available rockbolt support technologies in order to analyze the possibility of applying such systems to active roof control in the conditions of JSW’s mines. Leading global coal producers using underground mining technologies successfully apply rockbolt supports, thereby proving that the development of this technology currently enables its application also in demanding geological and mining conditions typical of JSW’s mines. An argument in support of the application of this type of support in the Polish mining industry is undoubtedly a much higher operating performance resulting from the higher efficiency of excavation work and much lower costs. A pilot application of the rockbolt support system has been planned in KWK Budryk.

  • Revitalization of the Krupiński mine

    The project is being executed in cooperation with leading scientific research units at the feasibility study level for specific sub-projects, including innovative ones such as: construction of a pumped-storage power plant using the infrastructure of an underground mine, storage of energy generated by solar farms located on an accessible portion of a waste rock heap, capture of methane, construction of JZR’s repair facilities and an office building fitted with installations using renewable energy sources, a technology park and an interactive science center.

To contribute to an acceleration of activities connected with seeking and implementing innovative solutions which bring both economic and environmental benefits, research competences were concentrated in one unit, which led to setting up the company named JSW Innowacje. According to assumptions, JSW Innowacje is intended to become a comprehensive research and development center for the whole Group. JSW Innowacje is to cover all the phases of the Group’s research and development activities: from research to projects, environmental impact assessments, feasibility studies and execution oversight.

The company has submitted applications for co-funding of the following projects:

  • Applications to the Coal and Steel Research Fund, including: CIRCMINE (innovative water management in mines), CERCOLAND (remediation of post-industrial areas created as a result of black coal/brown coal mining operations), CAESMINE (use of energy from compressed air in underground mining pits devoid of operational use), SUMAD (stock-taking of spoil tips), ARTEMISA (advanced remote detection methods for environmental risk management on the surface caused by mining and post-mining operations).
  • Applications to the Smart Development Operational Program, including: EKomPell (development of a technology for the production of organic pellets), Technology for the production of a compacted blend component for a coke oven chamber filling system using fine coal fractions, AutoInvent (automatic spatial data acquisition and analysis system to automate to process of stock-taking, modeling and calculation of coal storage volumes in quasi-real time).
  • Preparation and submission of an application to the Śląskie Voivodship Regional Operational Program (construction of hardware infrastructure for the needs of a center for the development of technologies and innovative professions).

Currently, JSW Innowacje is in the process of preparing a document entitled Strategic Research Agenda at JSW Innowacje S.A

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