On May 15th, 2025 Carbonarium in Jastrzębie-Zdrój has become the venue for an international debate on the future of coal and European coal regions. The international conference ‘European Coal in Transition: From industrial legend to cutting-edge research for the future', brought together key policy makers, scientists and representatives of the mining sector from across the European Union.
The event was organised by EURACOAL and the European Research Executive Agency and hosted by Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa SA. The conference discussed the challenges for the mining sector, with a particular focus on the role of science in the green transition and Europe's raw material security. ‘We are not turning away from the past, but transforming it into the future. Europe needs the knowledge that mining regions have. The Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS) is the bridge between industrial heritage and green innovation,’ stressed Prof Alicja Krzemień, President of EURACOAL. Prof. Krzemień also pointed out that the RFCS is becoming a pillar for the development of modern technologies in former mines and power plants, enabling projects in the field of reclamation or the construction of energy infrastructure based on green energy sources.
The issues of methane and the methane ordinance took centre stage. Presentations at the conference included the REM project to reduce methane emissions, with the largest ever EU funding for the Polish mining industry, and the ProVAM project, whose main objective is to develop assumptions and guidelines for the utilisation of methane from ventilation air. The topic of challenges related to the implementation of new EU methane regulations was taken up by director Jarosław Zagórowski: ‘Today, it is crucial that the methodology for measuring methane emissions is uniform across all mining plants. We have thousands of closed boreholes that need to be covered by monitoring. Ventilation methane is the most difficult - its concentration is low, but the air flows are huge’ .
The event, held under the auspices of the Polish Presidency of the European Union, was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Industry, the European Commission, RFCS directors and scientists from across Europe. Industry Minister Marzena Czarnecka emphasised the important role of Silesia: ‘Transformation is happening here and now. Silesia is particularly burdened by socio-economic problems. It is our duty to ensure that the change is ‘gentle’, well-planned and serves the people.’
The conference also featured a number of other international projects in which GIG-PIB is involved, including GI-MINE, RECOVERY, GREEN JOBS, as well as new projects from the RFCS that are about to start such as RAISING, on raising awareness in small local communities.
The conference organisers were also honoured by the presence of Her Excellency Ms Oyundari Navaan-Yunden, Ambassador of Mongolia to Poland, who represented the Mongolian Coal Association, an associated partner in the GI-mine project. The Ambassador took a keen interest in the problems of the Polish mining industry, expressing her wish for broad cooperation between our countries in the field of mining and the adoption of good practices in terms of methane extraction and management and the revitalisation of post-mining areas.
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