Czasopismo nowoczesnego górnictwa

ISSN 2450 – 7326 e-ISSN 2449 – 6421

Forthcoming issue

okładka czasopisma Mining
Nr 554 – 2/2023

Marek Borowski1, Klaudia Zwolińska-Glądys1, Andrzej Szmuk1

1AGH University of Kraków

Analysis of the possibility of using methane from hard coal mines in a trigeneration system to reduce methane emissions into the atmosphere

Greenhouse gases and their emissions are issues that are being increasingly discussed due to climate change. Next to carbon dioxide, methane is considered one of the most important greenhouse gases. Reducing methane emissions could result in noticeable environmental benefits in a short time. Anthropogenic emissions constitute approximately 60% of total methane emissions. Therefore, solutions to reduce emissions of this gas are most often sought in this sector. The subject of the study is the methane capture system in the Pniówek mine, belonging to the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (southern Poland), and the possibility of methane management using a trigeneration system. The article discusses the utilization of methane from hard coal mines to reduce its emissions into the atmosphere and as a profitable solution to use emitted gas. The authors describe a trigeneration system in which methane from the mine is burned in gas engines and used to produce electricity, heat, and cooling energy. This allows for reducing methane emissions into the atmosphere while increasing the efficiency of coal use. The article shows the results of measurements carried out in a hard coal mine in Poland. The presented example indicates the ecological and economic benefits resulting from the use of a trigeneration system.

Kaywords: methane emission, emission reduction, economic use, trigeneration system