The aim of the HydroCoal Plus project is to test the innovative hydro-well technology (HBM Hydraulic Borehole Mining) for the exploitation of brown coal in the conditions of the Bełchatów field. Before starting the tests in Bełchatów, preliminary tests will also be carried out on the hard coal deposit of the "Barbara" Experimental Mine.

Importance for industry:

The hydro-borehole technology (HBM) does not compete with the currently used classical methods (opencast and underground), but it can be a real and the only alternative for the development of deposits that cannot be exploited with the above-mentioned classical methods. The interest of European lignite producers (PGE GiEK, Severočeské Doly) confirms the importance and significance of the project's assumptions for industry and gives the opportunity to disseminate the project's results among leading European industrial partners. Testing the HBM technology in the "Barbara" Experimental Mine (GIG) and in the Bełchatów opencast mine (PGE) is to demonstrate the feasibility of implementing the technology on an industrial scale.

GRANT AGREEMENT NO. 800757-HydroCoal Plus-RFCS-2017

Start time: 01.06.2018

Duration: 64 months