CHANGE OF PARADIGM IN UNDERGROUND HARD COAL MINING THROUGH EXTRACTION AND CAPITALIZATION OF METHANE FOR ENERGY PRODUCTION

Abstract

Besides oil and gas, coal is the most important fossil fuel for energy production. Of the energy mixture of our country, the internal production gas share is 80% of the required annual consumption, of about 14 billion cubic meters, the rest of 20% being insured by importing, by the Russian company Gazprom. The share of coal in the National Power System (NPS) is of 24% and is one of the most profitable energy production sources, taking into account the continuous increase of gas price and its dependence on external suppliers. Taking into account the infestation of the atmosphere and global warming as effect of important release of greenhouse gas and carbon dioxide as a result of coal burning for energy production in thermal power plants, there is required to identify new solutions for keeping the environment clean. Such a solution is presented in the study and analysis shown in the paper and is the extraction and capitalization of methane from the coal deposits and the underground spaces remaining free after mine closures. Underground methane extraction is considered even more opportune because, during coal exploitation, large quantities of such combustible gas are released and exhausted into the atmosphere by the degasification and ventilation stations from the surface, representing and important pollution factor for the environment, as greenhouse gas with high global warming potential (high GWP) of about 21 times higher than carbon dioxide.

Keywords

• methane
• coal
• greenhouse gas
• technological process
• energy