The development of Clean Coal Technologies, allowing Polish power industry to still base on this fuel, caused the situation in which nobody speaks about the necessity to close down the mines any longer. A dynamic prime of the branch is even forecast. The power safety of our country depends largely on stable and dependable fuel deliveries for the power industry. Jan Matuszewski, Vice Chairman of the Board and Technical Director, speaks about the perspectives for the Southern Coal Company (Poludniowy Koncern Weglowy), the main coal supplier for the Southern Poland Power Company.

Do you foresee coal price changes and if yes what is the justification of such changes?

Coal prices depend on numerous factors related to the company operation costs: cost of raw materials, energy, mining services as well as the indispensable remuneration increase indices. The foreseen coal price increase in our company is also related to the general tendency as signaled by the country’s biggest producers and with the fact that world coal prices are significantly higher compared to Polish market prices.

Is there a possibility to increase output in the Southern Coal Company?

The production of coal in 2007 in our company amounted to circa 4.6 million tons. This year we are planning to produce over 5.6 million tons. A round million is a pointing output growth. The result has been achieved due to production concentration, exploitation of more dependable fields and above all thanks to the enormous commitment of the staff. The production growth was not caused by the start up of additional production power. For a number of years the yield has been carried our basing on the three-wall model in each mine – such a system will be maintained till the end of 2009. At the beginning of 2010 we will apply two-wall system in the Coal Mine Janina. It is connected with the optimization of the production system and ajdusting to difficult mining and gological conditions present in the mine situated in Libiaz. Of course, this does not mean the decrease in  production. On the contrary, we estimate a several percent growth. Such a result will be obtained by means of organizational and technical activities: locating exploitation in the most dependable deposits, eliminating unproductive stoppages of working due to liquidation and reinforcing processes as well as simplification of the company infrastructure. In the following years the production capacity of the Southern Coal Company will be maintained at the level of 5.9 million tons annually.

What are the perspectives for the more distant future?

Taking into account the fuctioning within the Tauron Group Exploitation Area, we have commenced analyses concerning the possibility to increase the production by further 2 million tons per year. We are analysing the areas adjacent to present exploitation fields belonging to our company. We do not rule out – as long as it is economically justified – making use of the deposits left in the closed mines. The production inrease is virtually connected with building infrastructure appropriate for the new mine which generates the need to have access to significant financial resources. That is why everything has to be supported by adequate case studies pinpointing the enterprise profitability. Moreover, the Southern Coal Company is still interested in including Boleslaw Smialy into its structure.

What is the Southern Coal Company investment strategy like?

Enterprises ensuring continuous and failure-free mine opration, restoring of the resource base as well as conscientiouseness for the staff safety are the company’s strategic investment directions. It is of uttermost importance to improve the coal quality and minimise unfavourable impact on the natural environment. We plan to expend circa PLN600 million on the investments in the period from 2008 to 2015. For this time we plan to strat up new walls, build horizontal exploitation hollows, to hollow the Grzegorz coal pit and carry out tasks connected with coal delivery and processing.

Why does the company want to build a new coal pit, what are the chances for the plans to be put into practice?

The construction of the new coal pit is a part of the company startegy. Its basic aim is to ensure technical possibility of exploiting deposits located below the present production level i.e. below 500 meters. The coal pit would make it possible to carry out works in the area situated between the two mines: Janina and Sobieski. It will enable exploitation of Dab field deposits and Byczyna part. The new coal pit would also aid in shortening the staff journey and material transportation. It would also improve the ventilation and climate conditions.

How long will the company coal deposits last?

The Southern Coal Company possesses relatively sizeable depostis of power coal. According to the resources status records as of the end of 2007 there were over 2 billion tons in the deposit. The carried analyses show that Sobieski coal mine may continue exploiting its deposits untill 2064 and Janina coal mine up to 2061. The planned construction of the new coal pit, hollowing galleries and other activities of the sort will allow to gain fields adjacent to present coal mines which will expand the current resource base ipso facto prolong the mines’ life.

Patrycja Hamera