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Konin Coal Mines (Jóźwin IIB, Drzewce and Tomisławice, Pątnów IV) is an operating coal mine in Greater Poland, Poland.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Mine Name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Konin Coal Mines | Greater Poland, Poland | 52.416547, 18.162768 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the coal mine:
Project Details
Table 2: Project status
| Status | Status Detail | Opening Year | Closing Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating[1] | – | 1945 | 2024[1] |
Table 3: Operation details
| Capacity (Mtpa) | Production (Mtpa) | Year of Production | Mine Type | Mining Method | Mine Size (km2) | Mine Depth (m) | Workforce Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | 2.21[2] | 2022[2] | Surface | – | 14 | 50* | 936[3] |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 134 | – | – | Adamów-Konin | Lignite | Thermal | Patnow power station |
Table 5: Ownership and parent company
| Owner | Parent Company | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| PAK KWB Konin SA | ZespoŁ Elektrowni Patnow-Adamow-Konin [ZE PAK Group] | Poland |
Note: The above section was automatically generated and is based on data from the GEM April 2024 Global Coal Mine Tracker dataset.
Background
The KWB Konin coal mine are surface operations, owned by ZE PAK Group, in Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland.[4]
The mines operating under the KWB Konin branch include Jóźwin IIB, Drzewce, and Tomisławice.[5] They provide coal to the Patnow power station. The Konin mine complex is operated by PAK KWB Konin SA and owned by ZespoŁ Elektrowni Patnow-Adamow-Konin (ZE PAK SA). The annual coal production is around 2.6 million tonnes.
The European Parliament has been investigating the case of Tomisławice mine's infringement of Natura 2000 legislation since 2008 and was expected to issue a final report resolving the matter in the summer of 2016.[6]
In 2022, the mines produced a total of 3.54 million tonnes of brown coal (lignite); with the Drzewce pit producing 1.06 million tonnes, and Tomisławice pit producing 2.48 million tonnes.[7]
Although the Tomisławice pit was planned to mine coal until 2030, in April 2022, ZE PAK announced that this plan would be unprofitable and that it would consider closing the mine in 2024.[8]
Opposition
According to many scientists, the Tomisławice coal mine is an extreme threat to the neighboring nature protection Natura 2000 areas, including the protected Gopło lake. Its opening in May 2010 has resulted in many protests by local governments, farmers and ecological organisations.[9]
There are escalating protests about the impact of lignite coal mining in the area due to concerns about impacts to water resources.[10]
The open pit mines, removal of overburden, and siphoning off of groundwater from surrounding land has come under severe criticism from local communities who blame the mining activities on falling water levels in the nearby lakes. Wilczyńskie lake, where water levels are 5m below their 2011 levels, and four other nearby lakes are part of the nature reserve Pojezierze Gnieźnieńskie, where numerous protected species of flora are found. [11]
- Operator: PAK KWB Konin SA[5]
- Parent Company: ZespoŁ Elektrowni Patnow-Adamow-Konin (ZE PAK SA)[5]
- Location: Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland[5]
- GPS Coordinates: 52.416547, 18.162768 (exact)[5]
- Mine Status: Operating[5]
- Start Year:
- Total Resource:
- Mineable Reserves: 134 million tonnes[5] Jóźwin II: 65 million tonnes (Reserves, 2007) [12]
- Coal Type: Lignite
- Mine Type: Opencast
- Mine Size: 14 km2
- Mine Type: Surface
- Mine Depth: 50 m
- Production: 3.544 million tonnes (2021)[7];6.8 million tonnes per year (2020)[5]
- Number of Employees:
Expansion
In Spring 2017, the government demanded the full EIA report for the Tomisławice mine expansion. The expansion of the existing Tomisławice mine is being met with opposition and serious doubts from environment impact assessment authorities.[13] The company's proposed mine expansions face strong resistance both locally and from the Minister of Agriculture. The unfinalized EU Commission infringement procedure has found breaches of environmental law at the Tomislawice mine.[14]
In July 2019, activists from the Climate Camp protest group entered the premises of the planned open cast lignite mine in Tomisławice, protesting continued coal mine development in the era of climate change.[15]
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 https://web.archive.org/web/20240131182242/https://globenergia.pl/zamkniecie-kwb-konin-zawazy-na-losach-pracownikow/. Archived from the original on 31 January 2024.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20240205190315/https://www.pgi.gov.pl/images/surowce/2022/pdf/brown_coal_2022.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 05 February 2024.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|archive-date=(help); Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://energy.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2023-12/Wielkopolska_2023.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ PAK KWB Konin SA, About the Company, Company Website, accessed September 2020
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 Euracoal, Poland, accessed September 2020
- ↑ New opencast mines of ZE PAK Company make no sense, Fundacja, April, 26, 2016.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 LIST OF BROWN COAL DEPOSITS IN POLAND as of 31.XII.2021, Polish Geological Institute, 2021
- ↑ Katarzyna Kojzar, "Coal profits are shrinking. The Tomisławice open pit, which is dangerous for nature, may be closed in just 2 years" (translated from Polish), OKO Press, 22 April 2022.
- ↑ Parliamentary questions, Parlament Europejski, May 4, 2010.
- ↑ Poland's disappearing lakes fuel battle over coal mining, Reuters, July 10, 2016.
- ↑ Reuters, "Poland's disappearing lakes fuel battle over coal mining", Reuters website, Accessed March 2021
- ↑ Poltegor Engineering,"References:: Surface Mines", Web Archive Poltegor Website, Accessed April 2021
- ↑ Polish Pyramids or open-pit mine?, Foundation "Development YES – Open Pit Mines NO", October 4, 2017.
- ↑ ZE PAK SA IPO exposes investors to major risks, Bankwatch, October 17, 2012.
- ↑ Is Poland ready to call time on King Coal?, Politico, July 24, 2019.
