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Infrastruktura - Środowisko - Energia
Dodatek lobbingowy do "RZECZPOSPOLITEJ".
9 września 2008 r.
po polsku
The objectives of the new energy policy with reference to the brown coal sector
Stanislaw Zuk, President of the Management Board of the Employer Union of the Association of Brown Coal Producers
Jacek Kaczorowski, Chairman of the Council of the Employer Union of the Association of Brown Coal Producers
Zbigniew Kasztelewicz, Professor of the AGH University of Science and Technology, Krakow, deputy president for strip and pit mining of ZG SITG in Katowice
 Electrical energy generated from brown coal is now the cheapest energy and therefore rational and optimum management of brown coal resources is major task in the near future. Assessing the Polish brown coal industry we must admit that its advantages are recognised deposits, experienced engineering staff, managers with European level skills, young and educated employees as well as R&D facilities at universities collaborating closely with the industry, numerous R&D institutes and enterprises working for the mining industry. Those facts should be taken into account during development of a new Power Strategy for Poland for the next 30-50 years to become effective in a few months in the form of Energy Policy for Poland. The strategic goal should be to maintain the existing percentage share of brown coal generated energy over the next 30-50 years.
Development of prospective brown coal deposits will provide for increased brown coal mining over the next 30-40 years to about 120-140 million Mg annually and maintaining it at that level for minimum 50-100 years. The planned output level would guarantee doubling of today's energy generation from brown coal up to about 100 TWh with the power installed at power plants amounting to about 20,000 MW. Despite such doubling of energy production generated from brown coal its share will drop below 30% of total production at that time and it will be less than it is today.
New Poland's Energy Policy
Priority 1. - Building a new mining and power generation centre based on brown coal
It is of strategic importance for Polish power industry to prepare the operation of a new mining and power generation centre that in the future may replace the production of electrical energy coming from today's centres. The best resources suitable for large-scale mining operation are located near Legnica (with resources of about 14.5 billion Mg) and Gubin (about 4.25 billion Mg), that is resources several times larger than the total volumes of deposits exploited today.
In order to implement Priority 1, the following actions need to be taken:
A strategic management investor needs to be designated for the deposit in Legnica. Before starting constructing a mine and power plant, the investor shall be obliged to protect the deposit from developing buildings and roads above it and perform the required works preparing the deposit for exploitation.
In order to build a new mining and power generation centre, in accordance with the Act of 27 March 2003 on spatial planning and development, it is necessary to develop a program specifying government-related tasks related to performing a public project on national significance, i.e. recognising brown coal as a strategic raw material for power industry and the construction of the Mining and Power Generation Centre "Legnica". Such program, once approved by the Council of Ministers, would become part of the National Conceptual Spatial Development Plan as well as voivodeship and municipal spatial development plans.
In order to protect documented brown coal deposits, the spatial development plans need to contain a list of deposits that may be used economically in the future.
Priority 2. - Extension of mining and energy generation from brown coal in existing brown coal mining and power generation centres
Apart from the new strategic deposits "Legnica" and "Gubin-Mosty-Brody", satellite deposits of existing mines are very important brown coal deposits, namely:
- Zloczew for PGE KWB Belchatow S.A.,
- Radomierzyce for PGE KWB Turow S.A.,
- Rogozno, Kozmin for KWB "Adamow" S.A.,
- Tomislawice, Piaski, Oscislowo and Deby Szlacheckie-Izbica Kujawska, Makoszyn-Grochowiska for KWB "Konin" S.A.
Exploitation of those deposits will provide for prolonged output and production of electrical energy in those mining and power generation centres on the basis of brown coal.
Priority 3. - Development of new capacities of emission-free power generation
The achievements of Polish power industry based on brown coal with respect to reduced emissions of sulphur, nitrogen oxides and dust should be assessed positively. However, there has been no success in reducing carbon dioxide emissions which is the major challenge in accordance with EU ecological policy and counteraction to climate changes. It seems that at present the only available solution to the problem is CO2 capture and storage, or the CCS technology. The completed power unit of 464 MW in Patnow II and the new power unit of 858 MW now under construction in Belchatow are characterised with supercritical steam parameters which assures net efficiency of about 41-42% with gross efficiency of about 45%. It seems that in the future it will be necessary to build in Poland power units with net efficiency of about 50% in order to compensate energy losses in the process and carbon dioxide capture and storage. To this end, Poland should soon join works on development and fast implementation of emission-free generation of power from brown coal. Global power companies conduct intensive works on the subject. First, it is necessary to develop integrated research programs covering the entire mining and generation process, focused on new methods of using brown coal.
Priority 4. - Development of new methods of using brown coal
In view of technology development and the situation in the energy market, there are new methods of using brown coal. Brown coal should be viewed not only as a fuel that may be burnt.
With high oil and gas prices and further upward trends of the prices, a more important role of brown coal should be expected in processing thereof into liquid and gas fuels, including synthesis gas and hydrogen as well as production of briquettes or coal dust.
Other potential use of brown coal is associated with efforts to gasify it.
Due to domestic very large brown coal deposits, development of new technologies may have major impact on improving energy security of our country. Within the European Union, Poland will take up efforts jointly with other European coal brown producers and consumers to support such new technologies.
Within its competence and capacities, the Government of Poland will support actions related to diversification of energy sources and looking for new possibilities of energy generation from brown coal. It is necessary to develop a program of clean technologies of energy production and processing of brown coal into liquid and gas fuels, including synthesis gas and hydrogen as well as production of briquettes and coal dust from brown coal.
Priority 5. - Reduction of negative impact of brown coal mining on the environment
 Brown coal mines attach special importance to tasks related to soil, air and water protection. The mines have no arrears in reclaiming post-mining land. Reclaiming of post-mining land performed by mines has been evaluated many times by representatives of domestic and foreign institutions. Independent experts from the European Union and the World Bank assess that the reclaiming works have been performed at top European level, preparing the post-mining land to be used for agricultural, forestry production and for recreation needs. A new element in using such post-mining pits is creation of large water bodies used for recreation as well as being reservoirs of fresh water in Poland, especially in view of a negative water balance in large parts of the country. Jointly, over 5 billion m3 of water will be stored in post-mining pits of now operating brown coal mines.
Priority 6. - Continuation of the restructuring process
In order to maintain its output potential, brown coal mines open new strip pits in existing mining centres. At KWB "Belchatow" a strip pit Pola "Szczercow" is being built, at KWB "Adamow" - strip pit "Pole Kozmin Polnoc" and at KWB "Konin" - strip pit "Tomislawice". The brown coal sector is concentrated in two organisational structures: Mine and Power Plant Belchatow and Mine and Power Plant Turow belong to the Polska Grupa Energetyczna (PGE - Polish Power Group). The Mines "Adamow" and "Konin" belong to the State Treasury and the Power Plant complex Patnow-Adamow-Konin - to the State Treasury and Elektrim S.A. In order to meet new challenges with respect to investments in mines and power plants in existing coal basins and potential participation in the construction of new mines and power plants in prospective fields, e.g. "Legnica", it is necessary to continue the restructuring process within PGE and the Turek-Konin Basin. Restructuring of mines and power plants is an indispensable process aimed at improving competitiveness and efficiency of the brown coal industry.
Conditions (geological, mining, legal and ecological) related to designing and construction of new brown coal mines result min that the time from commencement of geological exploration and design works until the first output of brown coal has extended to about 15-20 years. In view of the complex legal procedure, it seems necessary to take steps to have the Parliament approve a mining Act, similar to the highway Act to shorten the time to construct new brown coal mines as well as a power Act with respect to the construction of transmission lines and power units. n
www.ppwb.org.pl
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