MASTERMINE

The project has received funding under the European Master Mine program from EU's Horizon Europe research fund. The project, implemented by JSW S.A. and the Central Mining Institute. It is of research and implementation nature and aims to optimize and improve the efficiency of the mine's methane drainage system through its automation and digitization. As a result the capture of methane released during mining will be more effective. This will improve the safety of mining crews and reduce methane emissions, as less of this hazardous gas will migrate into the atmosphere with ventilation air.

‘The project, which will be implemented at the Pniówek mine is an important element of the pan-European MASTERMINE program established for EU producers of critical raw materials, including JSW mining coking coal. The intelligent methane drainage system which we will design and implement together with Central Mining Institute will ultimately serve not only our mines. This technology will benefit mining facilities around the world. This will be our contribution to improving work safety in the global mining industry and the reduction of methane emissions from the global mining sector’ - said Tomasz Cudny, President of the JSW S.A. Management Board.

The implementation of the intelligent methane drainage system at the ‘Pniówek’ mine will begin with an inventory-taking of the methane drainage network. Thorough work will then be carried out to study and determine its parameters. Based on this, Central Mining Institute specialists will design a new network of sensors and control devices. New algorithms will be developed for the system, which will allow the system to operate autonomously and fully automatically, without the need for constant operator supervision.

- ‘The methane drainage process is complex and depends on many factors. One of them is atmospheric pressure. The lower the barometer readings the more methane is released from the rock mass, while at higher atmospheric pressure the opposite is true. The methane drainage system must therefore respond flexibly and quickly to the occurring changes. The smart methane drainage system will allow us to react in real time to any changes thanks to automation, and this will directly affect the effectiveness of the methane drainage process’ - stressed Artur Badylak, Director of the Methane Drainage and Management Department of JSW S.A.

The project involves a consortium of 22 parties (including 2 from Poland):

INSTITUTO TECNOLOGICO DE ARAGON (ES)
CORE KENTRO KAINOTOMIAS AMKE (EL)
INSTITUTE OF COMMUNICATION AND COMPUTER SYSTEMS (EL)
FRAUNHOFER GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG EV (DE)
GŁÓWNY INSTYTUT GÓRNICTWA (PL)
DIMOKRITIO PANEPISTIMIO THRAKIS (EL)
TAMPEREEN KORKEAKOULUSAATIO SR (FI)
ARISTOTELIO PANEPISTIMIO THESSALONIKIS (EL)
UNIVERSITY OF THE WITWATERSRAND JOHANNESBURG (ZA)
SUBTERRA INGENIERIA SL (ES)
AURORA GEO LP (EL)
LIBRA AI TECHNOLOGIES PRIVATE IDIOTIKI KEFALAIOUCHIKI ETAIREIA (EL)
STRATAGEM ENERGY LTD (CY)
TERRADUE SRL (IT)
DARES TECHNOLOGY SL (ES)
DIGITALTWIN TECHNOLOGY GMBH (DE)
IOTA STIFTUNG (DE)
TAPOJARVI OY (FI)
THARSIS MINING SOCIEDAD LIMITADA (ES)
TERNA MAG SA (GREECE)
JASTRZĘBSKA SPÓŁKA WĘGLOWA SA (PL)
ETICAS RESEARCH AND INNOVATION (ES)

Project budget - 13 840 490 €
Grant – 11 963 526 €
GIG and JSW S.A. budget - 1 130 988 €
GIG and JSW S.A. grant– 962 309 €

For further info visit official project website:
https://www.mastermine-project.eu/