Methane Drainage and Management Office

Methane Drainage and Energy Management Office

In 2019, the Management Board of JSW SA established the Methane Drainage and Energy Management Office, thus linking methane drainage to the economic use of methane. Methane drainage units have been set up at every mining facility, employing more than people 200 in total. Operating and servicing methane drainage stations as well as supervising and regulating key pipelines and methane intakes in underground excavations are now performed internally. The main task of these units is to increase the capture of methane in the drainage system and thus enhance the safety of underground crews and reduce methane emissions into atmosphere.

In 2022, the Management Board of JSW SA as a result of the division of the current Office established Energy Management Office and Methane Drainage and Management Office.

Decision was dictated among the other by.:

• increasing number of energy assets own by JSW SA,
• regulatory and legal environment that poses increasing challenges both in terms of energy and methane emission to the atmosphere,
• constantly increasing share of energy costs in production,
• necessity to intensify activities in the area of methane drainage and energetic separately,
• approval by the JSW S.A. Management Board a new Environmental Strategy with a strong emphasis on both the development of the energy sector at JSW S.A. and methane emissions to the atmosphere.

Main tasks of the Methane Drainage and Management Office are:

• longwall methane drainage projects,
• supervision of demethanation process,
• implementing modern solutions that allow for more efficient use of methane,
• conducting periodic inspections of measuring, security, signalling and powering devices for methane drainage
• operating and servicing methane drainage stations,
• creating projects and technical documentation in the field of control systems and I&C.

Main tasks of the Energy Management Office are:

• securing supplies energy carriers - electricity, heat, cold, compressed air to JSW S.A. mining plants,
• managing the efficiency of production and consumption of energy utilities in JSW S.A.,
• conducting activities aimed at improving the energy efficiency of JSW S.A. mining plants, obtaining energy efficiency certificates,
• preparation, monitoring and supervision of the implementation of energy projects,
• market analysis of new technologies in order to introduce innovative technical solutions in mines to improve the processes of energy efficiency.