Poland’s JSW has invested over 300 million zlotys in reducing methane emissions

Poland’s Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa (JSW), the EU’s largest producer of coking coal, allocated over 300 million zlotys between 2015 and 2025 to projects aimed at reducing methane emissions into the atmosphere and generating energy from this gas. The company is implementing a series of investment and research programs aimed at increasing methane capture and its subsequent utilization, according to a press release.

JSW notes that the methane threat is an inherent part of coking coal mining operations, and the safety of miners remains the top priority. To this end, the mines operate degassing systems that allow methane to be safely extracted and used on the surface as fuel.

“Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa treats the methane hazard with the utmost seriousness. Methane emissions in coking coal mines are due to the specific nature of the deposit and are an inevitable phenomenon,” said Adam Rozmus, JSW’s Deputy CEO for Technical and Operational Affairs.

The captured gas is directed to boilers and cogeneration plants, where it is used to generate electricity and heat. The electricity powers mine facilities, while the heat is used to heat buildings, warm water, and heat mine shafts. Some of the gas is also sold to external producers.

Currently, 11 cogeneration plants with a total capacity of 40 MW are operating at JSW mines. In 2025, they generated 142,000 MWh of electricity, using over 34 million cubic meters of methane. This level of generation is comparable to the annual consumption of a city with a population of about 50,000 people.

The company continues to expand its capacity: the construction of another 14 cogeneration plants is underway—6 at the Budryk mine, 4 at the Szczygłowice site, and 4 at the Pniówek mine. In the future, the system’s total capacity is expected to grow to 60 MW. In 2025 alone, in-house generation allowed JSW to save over 62 million zlotys on electricity purchases.

Under its methane emissions reduction program, JSW plans to achieve 50% degassing efficiency by 2027, with 95% of the methane to be utilized economically. The company is also implementing the REM, MASTERMINE, ProVAM, and METH2GEN research projects, aimed at digitizing degassing, reducing vented methane, and producing hydrogen. Their combined budget exceeds €63.8 million.

As a reminder, in the first quarter of 2026, Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa increased its coking coal production by nearly 20% year-over-year—to 2.78 million tons, which was the key driver of the group’s production growth. Total coal production rose by 13.1% year-over-year to 3.24 million tons.