Poland’s JSW launches a new longwall at the Pniówek mine with reserves of 840,000 tons

Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa (JSW), Europe’s largest coking coal producer, continues to actively rebuild production fronts at the Pniówek mine after the 2022 accident. At the end of June, the company commissioned a new K-2 longwall, and another one, W-2, is scheduled to be launched in July. The combined reserves of the two longwalls exceed 840,000 tons of high-quality coking coal, a strategic resource for the steel industry, according to a press release.

The K-2 longwall, launched on June 23, 2025, is over a kilometer long and has reserves of about 500,000 tons. A modern JOY 4LS20 shearer is used for its development in combination with a mechanized GLINIK-JZR production protection complex. Average daily production is expected to reach 2,700 tons.

In the second half of July, JSW plans to launch the W-2 longwall in seam 363 with reserves of over 340,000 tons. An even more powerful JOY 7LS22 shearer and a complex manufactured by the subsidiary Jastrzębskie Zakłady Remontowe will be used here. The expected average production will be 2.3 thousand tons per day.

According to Adam Rozmus, JSW’s vice president for technical and operational issues, the launch of new longwalls is part of the recovery program following the 2022 incident and is integrated into the Strategic Transformation Plan. In particular, the Effective Mine initiative is being implemented here, which aims to increase productivity and profitability.

Currently, five longwalls are in operation at the Pniówek mine. The launch of K-2 and W-2 not only strengthens JSW’s production capabilities but also enhances the stability of coal supplies, which is critical for European steel mills in a volatile market.

As GMK Center reported earlier, in May 2025, JSW exceeded its coking coal production plan by 20.1%. The figure reached 1 million tons, compared to the planned 0.83 million tons. Total coal production for the month was 1.18 million tons, which is 11.2% more than planned. The company plans to produce 13.37 million tons of coal during the year, of which 11.35 million tons will be coking coal.