Zloczew Coal Mine
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Zloczew Coal Mine is a cancelled coal mine in Bełchatów, Łódź, Poland.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Mine Name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Zloczew Coal Mine | Bełchatów, Łódź, Poland | 51.3546583, 19.2926163 (approximate) |
The map below shows the approximate location of the coal mine:
Project Details
Table 2: Project status
| Status | Status Detail | Opening Year | Closing Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancelled | – | – | – |
Table 3: Operation details
| Capacity (Mtpa) | Production (Mtpa) | Year of Production | Mine Type | Mining Method | Mine Size (km2) | Mine Depth (m) | Workforce Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | – | – | Surface | Open Pit | 14 | 200 | * |
Table 4: Coal resources and destination
| Total Reserves (Mt) | Year of Total Reserves Recorded | Total Resources (Mt) | Coalfield | Coal Type | Coal Grade | Primary Consumer/ Destination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 430 | – | – | – | Lignite | Thermal | – |
Table 5: Ownership and parent company
| Owner | Parent Company | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| PGE Górnictwo i Energetyka Konwencjonalna SA | Polska Grupa Energetyczna SA [100.0%] | Poland |
Note: The above section was automatically generated and is based on data from the Global Coal Mine Tracker April 2024 release and the September supplement.
Background
Zloczew coal mine was a proposed surface mine, owned by Polska Grupa Energetyczna (PGE) Polish Energy Group, set to produce 18 million tonnes per annum, near the Belchatow power complex, in Bełchatów in Łódź Voivodeship, Poland.
The mine plan was abandoned as uneconomical in June 2021[1] The Zloczew open-cast mine would be Poland’s deepest ever and, for the first time, use explosives to access the lignite beneath the surface. The mine is a project of the state-owned energy company PGE. The coal from the mine is destined for Belchatow power plant.[2]
The reason for the mine's construction is to prolong past 2030 the operation of the Bełchatów coal power plant, the biggest lignite plant in Europe. The exploration works on the Złoczew mine started in June 2010. In 2011, Poland's largest energy company PGE started planning for the mine, based on assumptions that the current two pits feeding the Bełchatów coal power plant will be depleted between 2030 and 2035. The mine will produce 18 million tonnes of lignite a year. PGE estimated that 430 million tonnes of lignite could be extracted from the mine over its full lifespan. In 2011, PGE's plans indicated the company expected to secure the mining concession in 2014, but as of March 2019, this concession is still at least months from being granted.[3]
The Law and Justice party (PiS) of Poland has indicated that it plans to unveil legislation to allow the government to expand coal mine operations. PiS intends for half of Poland’s electricity to be generated by coal from its own mines by 2050. Among the mines PiS plans to develop is the Złoczew mine. This legislation is expected to be reviewed after the national election in October 2019.[4]
According to ClientEarth, Złoczew would be the deepest lignite deposit in Poland. PGE GiEK plans to transform the pit into an artificial water reservoir with a depth of at least 200 m, suggesting the depth of the proposed mining area.[2]
- Owner: PGE
- Parent Company:
- Location: Bełchatów, Łódź Voivodeship, Poland
- GPS coordinates: 51.3546583,19.2926163 (approximate)
- Mine status: Canceled[1]
- Start year: 2020
- Mineable reserves: 430 million tonnes
- Coal type: Lignite
- Mine size: 14 km2
- Mine type: Surface
- Mine depth: 200 m
- Production: 18 million tonnes per year
- Additional proposed production:
- Equipment: Open cast mining
- Number of employees:
Opposition
Lawyers from ClientEarth have launched a court fight to block the proposed mine. The mining process would displace seven billion tonnes of rock, putting the surrounding area at major risk of tremors – as well as serious water and air pollution. The Zloczew mine would also result in the displacement and destruction of 33 villages, including highly specialized modern farms, homes, schools, shops, chapels and fire stations. Operations at Zloczew would release five tonnes of mercury, 26 tonnes of cadmium and 168 tonnes of lead – all known neurotoxins and carcinogens – into the environment every year and is predicted to have substantial methane emissions. PGE is trying to start construction of the Zloczew mine via a ‘leapfrogging’ mechanism that skips the vital step of securing a final and binding environmental permit. ClientEarth’s court case challenges the authority’s decision to grant immediate effect to the environmental permit, even though an appeal against the environmental permit is pending and it is not final and binding. This immediate activation of the permit allows the investor to seek further permits and concessions required to excavate and operate the mine.[2]
Articles and Resources
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of world coal mines, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Mine Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 PGE Group: Just transition for Bełchatów region becoming a fact, Press Release, June 8, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 ClientEarth lawyers launch court fight to block major new coal mine in Poland, ClientEarth website, March 5, 2019.
- ↑ Złoczew lignite open-pit mine, BankTrack, last updated May 13, 2019.
- ↑ Poland proposes coal mine expansion while lawsuit challenges largest European coal plant, Jurist, September 27, 2019.
