Poland’s second BEŁCHATÓW

This report by Ember analyzes methane emissions from Poland's coal mining sector in 2018, highlighting that Poland was responsible for 70% of methane leaks from operational coal mines in Europe. The document quantifies the climate impact of these leaks, identifies the primary corporate emitters, and proposes six solutions to reduce emissions, including legislative action from the European Commission and the inclusion of methane in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme by 2030.

• Poland's coal mines are a primary source of methane emissions in Europe, accounting for 70% of methane leaks from the continent's operational coal mines in 2018. Total emissions from all Polish mines reached 659 kilotonnes, representing 57% of the total EU-27 emissions of 1152 kilotonnes.
• The climate impact of methane leaks from Polish coal mines exceeds the CO2 emissions of the Belchatów power plant. Using a 20-year global warming potential (GWP20) multiplier of 86, the 659 kilotonnes of methane are equivalent to 56.7 million tonnes of CO2, compared to Belchatów's 38.3 million tonnes of CO2 in 2018.
• Two companies, JSW and PGG, were responsible for 90% of methane leaks from Poland's operational hard coal mines in 2018. JSW accounted for 50% (231 kt), primarily mining coking coal for steel, while PGG accounted for 40% (186 kt), primarily mining thermal coal for electricity.
• The Budryk deep mine is identified as the largest methane emitter in JSW, Poland, and Europe, releasing 93 kilotonnes of methane in 2018. This is equivalent to 8 million tonnes of CO2 (GWP20) and increases the lifecycle emissions of the mine's coal by 107%.
• Methane leaks significantly increase the lifecycle emissions of Polish coal, adding an average of 23% to the climate impact of burning it. For JSW's coal, leaks add 51%, and for PGG's coal, they add 22%. Specifically, PGG's Mysłowice-Wesoła and Sośnica mines added 73% and 52% respectively to their lifecycle emissions.
• Approximately 16% of methane leaks in Poland originate from demethanisation plants that release captured methane into the air when supply exceeds internal energy demand. The value of this wasted gas in 2018 was estimated at 110 million PLN.
• The report proposes six solutions to mitigate emissions: accelerating JSW's methane reduction plans, prioritizing the closure of PGG's most methane-intensive mines, banning the release of captured methane, utilizing the Just Transition Fund for closed mines, implementing EU-wide legislation for coal mine methane, and including methane in the EU ETS from 2030.

APA

Kasprzak, M., & Jones, D. (2020). Poland’s second BEŁCHATÓW. Ember. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/10/English-Polands-Second-Belchatow.pdf

Chicago

Kasprzak, Małgorzata, and Dave Jones. Poland’s second BEŁCHATÓW. Ember, 2020. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/10/English-Polands-Second-Belchatow.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Kasprzak |first1=Małgorzata |last2=Jones |first2=Dave |title=Poland’s second BEŁCHATÓW |publisher=Ember |date=November 2020 |url=https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/10/English-Polands-Second-Belchatow.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{kasprzak2020polands, author = {Kasprzak, Małgorzata and Jones, Dave}, title = {{Poland’s second BEŁCHATÓW}}, institution = {Ember}, year = {2020}, month = nov, url = {https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/10/English-Polands-Second-Belchatow.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }