One of Poland’s remaining coal mining majors, Południowy Koncern Węglowy S.A. (PKW) reports that the Grzegorz shaft is already ventilatively connected to the workings of the Sobieski mine in Jaworzno.
Work is still underway to sink the Grzegorz shaft. On April 25 this year, a key moment of implementation took place – a ventilation connection of the shaft with the horizontal workings of the Sobieski mine was achieved at the level of 540 m.
Grzegorz is the first shaft in the history of Polish coal mining to be sunk from the so-called final shaft tower. It is also one of the two largest mining investments in coal mines in Poland in the last 20 years and the first investment in coal mines in 30 years using rock mass freezing. The general contractor of the project is Przedsiębiorstwo Budowy Szybów S.A. (PBSz).
The Grzegorz shaft will ultimately provide both ventilation as well as material transport. Its target depth will be 591.2 m. By the end of 2025, works will be carried out related to the construction of a double-sided inlet at the level of 540 m (14.5 m from the shaft axis to the north and 29 m to the south).
The ventilation connection of the drilled shaft with horizontal workings will allow for the intensification of works to access the Dąb deposit, rich in high-quality coal, which is the foundation for the next years of operation of both the mine and the power industry in the region. The Sobieski mine is connected to the Jaworzno power plant by a railway line with a length of about 4 km, which ensures fast and safe transport of coal, the parameters of which are suitable for combustion in the 910 MW unit.
The launch of the Grzegorz shaft will increase the efficiency and effectiveness of coal mining at the Sobieski mine. It will also allow – based on the resource base of the Dąb deposit – stabilisation of production levels and continuity of supplies to the power industry. Achieving full functionality of the shaft will also significantly improve the safety and comfort of the crew’s work, as well as – thanks to the possibility of decommissioning a significant part of the existing infrastructure – reducing the mine’s operating costs.
The Sobieski mine has a concession for coal mining until 2063 – this is the longest valid concession in Poland. In the near future of completing the investment related to the launch of the new shaft, this gives hope for the long-term operation of the mine, which will remain one of the key coal producers in the region and will be an important element of the coal industry securing the national security of energy supply during the long-term energy transition process.