Poland has been a long-time leader in hard coal production worldwide. We are currently far from record-breaking production of over 200 million tons of coal. The European Union has decided to abandon this black gold; it’s unsustainable – that’s how we’re being told.
The world is approaching coal completely differently.
Cheap energy is a competitive advantage and the reason why production can be made cheaper. This is why China and India are developing at a rapid pace, while the European Union is becoming an economic open-air museum.
Some European politicians are highlighting this issue. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk recently spoke about competitiveness in the context of the European Union, but this does not change the assumptions of the European Green Deal in the slightest. For Polish consumers, this means that coal and its energy production are subject to enormous taxes, causing Poles to pay almost the highest electricity rates in the EU.
The world is heading in a completely different direction. Climate change? Yes, but this does not mean a shift away from cheap energy – argues the policies of the global economic giants.
Indonesia produced 755 million tons of coal from January to the end of November 2024 and is on track to exceed its 2023 record production of 775 million tons, exceeding the government’s 2024 target of 710 million tons. Indonesian coal exports in 2024 could reach 534 million tons, compared to a record level of just over 500 million tons in 2023, according to former Deputy Minister Janusz Piechociński.
Thanks to this coal volume, Indonesia has the world’s fifth-largest operating coal-fired power plant capacity, at 52.31 GW.
The largest importers of coal from Indonesia are China, India, the Philippines, South Korea, and Malaysia.
“International forecasts for the near future indicate that these numbers could be even higher by the end of 2023. According to the International Energy Agency, global coal production will exceed 8.8 billion tons in 2023, which means an increase of approximately 0.2 billion tons compared to 2022,” we read in a study by the Polish Mining Group.
Last year was even more intense. Another record was broken.
In its published report “Coal 2024,” the IEA – International Energy Agency – predicts that record coal consumption will occur in 2027.
One-third of the coal burned worldwide comes from China. A country that simultaneously imports vast quantities of the black metal…
Coal consumption in China could reach 4.7 billion tons, and in India exceed 1.2 billion tons, with a decline in coal consumption in the European Union and the United States expected.
The latter country, however, could soon join China and India. This is all due to the change in policy of the US administration following Donald Trump’s presidency.
President Donald Trump addressed the World Economic Forum in Davos remotely earlier this year.
“I denounced the senseless and extremely expensive agreements concluded as part of the Green New Deal, which I myself called the Green New Scam,” Trump said.
He added that the US is expected to once again become an energy powerhouse. Coal will be instrumental in this.
It should be recalled that the two largest coal producers, China and India, have seen significant growth in coal production. Coal production in China reached approximately 4.5 billion tons, while in India it was 0.9 billion tons.
China and India account for nearly 70% of global coal consumption.
There’s another important reason why cheap coal-fired power will continue to be profitable.
According to the IEA, the rapid growth of energy-intensive data centers linked to the emergence of artificial intelligence will likely also increase demand for power generation, especially in China.
This means that the United States, competing with the Middle Eastern powerhouse, will likely need to consume more of this black gold.
What’s the situation like in Poland?
According to the Polish Energy Policy approved by the government, coal’s share in electricity generation could still reach 56% in 2030.
The problem is that, as a result of the closure of Polish mines, we will be importing coal. This is despite the European Commission’s information that by 2024, only two European Union countries were producing hard coal: the Czech Republic and Poland. Poland accounts for 93% of EU production. However, this is less than 50 million tons of coal per year.
Jarosław Adamski
Can mine water become a key element of ecological transformation? The Silesian Museum in Katowice proves that it can. On January 13, 2025, a letter of intent was signed in Katowice concerning cooperation in harnessing mine water energy for the Museum’s needs. Thanks to the collaboration between the Mine Restructuring Company, the Central Mining Institute, and the Mineral Resources and Energy Economy Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences, pumped mine water will become a modern and ecological heat source for the Museum.
This solution will not only reduce the operating costs of cultural institutions but also contribute to sustainable development efforts. As Jarosław Zagórski, Director of GIG–PIB, emphasized, this project demonstrates how a thoughtful approach to post-industrial heritage can transform Silesia into a leader in innovation: “This project connects the region’s past with its modern, green future. The Silesian Museum, located on the site of the former Katowice mine, is a symbol of the region’s transformation. Thanks to visionary collaboration between science and industry, former mines are becoming a source of new, ecological solutions.”
This is not a new idea. GIG developed a concept for using mine water for heating purposes back in 2004, but only now, thanks to modern technologies and the Museum’s determination, can it be implemented. The idea of using mine water as an energy source has enormous potential. Professor Przemysław Bukowski from GIG emphasizes that this resource has not been exploited on a large scale for years: “The temperature of mine water can reach 20 degrees Celsius.” Combined with heat pumps and a mechanical energy recovery system, this offers enormous potential. Furthermore, the elevation differences around the museum allow for the use of a gravity-based power plant, further increasing the system’s efficiency. The entire system is expected to consist of several key components: a heat pump, transport pipelines, a heat exchanger system, a storage tank, and additional mechanical energy recovery modules that utilize the elevation differences for additional energy production.
According to preliminary analyses, the investment in a heating system based on mine water should pay for itself within 4-7 years. If all goes according to plan, the Silesian Museum could become a pioneer in the ecological transformation of post-industrial areas. Only time will tell whether other institutions will follow suit. One thing is certain: Silesia is once again proving that tradition can be combined with modernity.
This isn’t the only example of using mine water for heating. In 2017, a mine water heat recovery system designed by GIG began operation at the Golf Club development in Bytom, located on the site of the former Szombierki mine spoil tip, heating an office building. In Jaworzno, mine water is the source of cooling water for the locomotive shed. A similar project involves the former Saturn mine in Czeladź, where the headquarters of the Central Mine Drainage Plant uses mine water as a heat source. The Maciej Shaft in Zabrze, a revitalized and converted tourist attraction site of the former Concordia mine, uses water at a temperature of approximately 8°C, drawn from the pumped-out mine shaft, as the lower source for heat pump installations. In Europe, the Dutch are pioneers in the use of mine water. They were the first to use geothermal energy from mine water to heat homes in Heerlen in 2008. The English followed the Dutch example, demonstrating that a closed mine can be an effective source of thermal energy in the town of Gateshead in northeastern England. Since March 2023, a 6 MW heat pump has been operating there, using water from flooded, old mine workings, and the installations are powered by a local photovoltaic farm. The Gateshead project has been deemed a success, and other cities are lining up. By 2027, Bochum, Germany, plans to use heat from old mine shafts to heat the new Mark 51°7 district. Research complexes, a special economic zone with 10,000 jobs, and companies such as Bosch and VW will be headquartered there, and innovative housing models will be built around this heat source. The Polish project of the Silesian Museum is not without challenges. The Mine Restructuring Company, although involved in the project, emphasizes that its financing model does not allow for investment in such solutions, therefore an active operator and beneficiary of the project is necessary: ”We are willing to share the resource of water, but it is the Silesian Museum that takes on the burden of implementing this investment,” said Jarosław Wieszołek, president of the Silesian Museum Restructuring Company (SRK). The success of the project depends on the involvement of active operators and beneficiaries, including local governments. There is potential for using post-mining water for various purposes, which requires cooperation between the Silesian Museum Restructuring Company and local governments.
The Silesian Museum is one of the most important examples of post-mining site revitalization in Poland. Located in the austere space of the former Ferdynand mine, later known as Katowice, it has become a symbol of change. As the museum’s director, Dr. Karol Makles, emphasizes, it is not only a place to preserve history but also a center of innovation and ecology: “Converting black energy into green energy is more than just an ecological solution; it also sends a message that our region is capable of changing its future.”
Experts emphasize that the success of this project could become a model for other cities and institutions. In Katowice, discussions are already underway about similar uses for mine water in other locations, such as Boże Dary, where mine water is planned for domestic use.
Sylwia Jarosławska
What does the Wieliczka Salt Mine have in common with coal mining? It turns out it does, and quite a bit.
Among the mines open to visitors in Poland, Wieliczka ranks third in terms of longevity. Mining operations preceded Wieliczka in the Neolithic Krzemionki flint mine and the rock salt mine in Bochnia. Despite this, the Wieliczka mine was the first to become a tourist destination, gaining fame as an exceptionally interesting underground destination already in feudal times.
In the Middle Ages and in the following centuries, Wieliczka miners struggled without hard coal. Demand for this raw material in the Lesser Poland town can be traced back to the 19th century. Coal was useful not only for powering steam engines, which were used to pump water into the workings. The mine began using electricity generated by the mine’s coal-fired power plant. Thanks to this, in 1886, electric light shone for the first time in the underground areas of the Wieliczka mine, and in 1911, electric hoisting machines began operating in the Wieliczka shafts. In 1936, narrow-gauge electric locomotives were introduced to transport mined material. Without coal supplies to Wieliczka, this would have been impossible.
Until the second half of the 20th century, the Wieliczka mine was practically the only mine accessible to residents of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin. Pre-war newspapers contain descriptions of excursions to Wieliczka, for example, from Tarnowskie Góry and Sosnowiec. Thanks to a rather detailed description of the excursion organized on November 27, 1911, by the Polish Tourist Society from Zabrze Dąbrowskie, we now know the mine’s tour program and the order in which the individual workings were explored.
There was a time when you didn’t have to travel all the way outside Kraków to see salt mine artifacts. In 1950, the Union Mining Museum in Sosnowiec received a collection of memorabilia from the Wieliczka Salt Mine. These included wooden shovels for pouring salt, two carts, four oil lamps, and a collection of salt varieties mined in Wieliczka. There were also photocopies of old drawings and hemp rope. These items dated from the 17th and 19th centuries. This exhibition was opened to the public on July 15, 1959, at the Górnik Cultural Center in Sosnowiec. However, the Sosnowiec museum was closed in 1972.
It’s worth reversing the perspective and trying to see it from the perspective of the miners from Wieliczka. For many years, they could, with some assistance, visit the workings of one of the coal mines in Upper Silesia. The first trip by salt mine workers to an Upper Silesian mine was recorded relatively late. In the summer of 1949, a group of 50 miners from the Wieliczka Salt Mine came to Katowice and toured the underground areas of the Eminencja Coal Mine. The purpose of the trip was to familiarize themselves with the working conditions in coal mining. This was the first organized trip for Wieliczka miners to a coal mine. Today, Wieliczka residents have more choices, as in the 21st century, former coal mines in Zabrze, Wałbrzych, and Nowa Ruda have been opened to visitors.
Speaking of Nowa Ruda and Wieliczka. These two mining plants, so far apart in terms of production profile and geographic location, had more in common than just being subordinated to the State Mining Authority. The similarly named Wyrobków, specifically the settlements—maki, streets, and towns—bearing the same name and surname, were the faster-paced center in Nowa Ruda between 1919 and 1998. He was the son of a salt mine miner and himself became involved with the Wieliczka Salt Mine for over half a century. He lived there, with breaks, from 1917 to 1968. He remembered himself for his football career, with biblical quotes in the background, particularly for his work on the chapel of St. Kinga, including “The Flight into Egypt” created in 1927-1928, “On the Way to Bethlehem” from 1929, and others, as well as “The Miracle at Cana” and “Golgotha” from 1934.
The son of a Wieliczka miner and sculptor, Antoni Wyrodek “the Younger,” who lived from 1926 to 1998, chose a slightly different life path. In 1945, he left Wieliczka for Nowa Ruda. After graduating from mining school, he worked in the local coal mine as a mining rationalist and also became the head of the mine rescue station. His passion, however, was monuments and whistling, but not only that. In a sense, one could say that the son followed in his father’s footsteps. A sculpture depicting a coal miner was installed near the former administration building of the Piast KWK Nowa Ruda. It was created by Antoni Wyrodek “the Younger.” Tourists pass this sculpture on their way to explore the Old Mine, the underground tourist route in Nowa Ruda.
So much for Wieliczka’s connection with Nowa Ruda. The Małopolska salt mine is known not only as a centuries-old mining facility but also for the sanatorium operating underground, where respiratory diseases are treated. A trial descent of patients to a level of 300 meters began in 1957, after the opening of the “Kinga” Allergy Sanatorium at a level of 211 meters underground on June 5, 1964. The inspiration came from a similar sanatorium in the Schönebeck rock salt mine in the German Democratic Republic, which Wieliczka doctors and engineers had visited several years earlier.
Meanwhile, few people know that, prior to Wieliczka, underground treatment was being conducted after World War II in a coal mine in what was then the Katowice Voivodeship. In the summer of 1950, the topic was widely and emotionally covered by the press, including the Jelenia Góra Słowo Polskie and the Trybuna Robotnicza newspaper from Katowice. In 1951, newspapers highlighted Dr. Szczurawski’s experimental treatment for whooping cough. He brought children to the underground chambers of the Joseph Stalin mine in Sosnowiec. These trials yielded good results, generating understandable interest. They were accompanied by considerable support from the Ministry of Mining. By the end of April 1951, over 50 children had benefited from these treatments. Years later, one can only sigh: it’s a shame the Wieliczka mine management didn’t take notice of this information at the time. Perhaps the underground sanatorium in Wieliczka would have been established a few years earlier.
From the perspective of the mining authorities, however, the Wieliczka mine was primarily a production facility extracting rock salt in the 20th century, with the underground tourist route and sanatorium serving as sideline activities. Annual work plans were paramount. Unfortunately, it was impossible to replicate all the patterns from coal mining. Socialist labor competition, initiated on July 27, 1947, by miner Wincenty Pstrowski from the Jadwiga mine in Zabrze, essentially revolved around exceeding production quotas.
The challenge issued by the Zabrze miner was naturally heeded in Wieliczka. However, it quickly became apparent that it was difficult to meet for reasons beyond the miners’ control. Demand for salt was constant, even rigid, and salt could not be mined in bulk. The reason was simple: atmospheric conditions prevailing on the surface in the Polish climate. Rain and snow could easily undo the miners’ efforts. Despite this, attempts were made to exceed production quotas. For example, in 1949, Władysław Rybicki and his assistant Adam Rupert were among the leading figures in the Wieliczka Salt Mine. They achieved 148 percent of the quota, ensuring that they hadn’t yet spoken their last word.
Perhaps the most significant aid from the coal mining industry was received by the Wieliczka mine in the twilight of the Polish People’s Republic. The depleted Daniłowicz shaft, used to transport tourists underground and to the surface, had to be closed and renovated. Since October 1, 1987, tourist traffic in the Wieliczka mine has been completely suspended. The work in the shaft was carried out by the Mining Works Company from Mysłowice. The existing stairwell was removed, the wooden shaft lining was dismantled, and a preliminary brick lining was constructed up to the 32-meter level, followed by a final wooden lining and a new stairwell. The Wieliczka mine provided the timber needed by the Mysłowice company. All other materials were provided by the coal mining industry. Miners from Bochnia and Wieliczka were primarily employed in the work. In April 1989, the Polish Press Agency (PAP) estimated that the “good pace of work maintained by Silesian miners” would allow for the mine to be reopened to visitors soon. Finally, more than two years after its closure, the underground tourist route reopened on November 26, 1989, after the economic transformation from socialism to capitalism had begun.
Tomasz Rzeczycki
Professor, common associations with mining are brawn, strength, and physical labor—attributes traditionally attributed to men. As we begin this series of interviews dedicated to women in Polish mining, it’s worth asking to what extent this stereotype was grounded in reality when you began your career, and to what extent it remains true today. Has the number of women employed in the mining industry increased in recent decades?
Although popular associations with the sector usually revolve around the miner, a man physically working with ore, usually deep underground, mining also encompasses what happens above ground – in workplaces, businesses, research institutes, and universities, where women have always outnumbered women. In our first year, there were seven women out of 70 students in the field. With the exception of one who gave birth and defended her thesis a year later, all graduated on time, a significantly higher rate than among men. Moreover, as far as I know, all of them remained in the industry and thrived in the job market, achieving many professional successes. So it’s not as if the doors of the mining world were closed to women…
Currently, in our mining program – at the Faculty of Geoengineering, Mining, and Geology of the Wrocław University of Science and Technology – we are observing a blurring of gender patterns of interest in mining sciences. The proportions of female students and male students are rather even, even if the scales tip one way or the other in individual years.
What made you decide to pursue your career in mining? When choosing your field of study and taking your first steps in the industry, did you have any doubts or concerns about its “masculinization,” the associated stereotypes, etc.?
I’ll surprise you. My first, dream choice in terms of a field of study was… theoretical physics. A friend from high school was aiming for philological studies. The result? We both went into mining (laughter)! At almost 18, everything changes like a kaleidoscope, and the world sparkles with a thousand possibilities. These youthful choices aren’t always driven by deeper, practical motivations. In my case, they began a bit later, and were related to where I lived. I come from and grew up in Legnica, where the Legnica Copper Smelter operated. From the early 1960s, the powerful Copper Mining and Metallurgy Company, now known as KGHM, spread its tentacles in the region. Remember, the mining industry was experiencing dynamic growth at the time and was crucial to the Polish economy, tempting young people with the prospect of career opportunities…
And the aforementioned stereotype? Well, I guess there weren’t any major problems with it. Perhaps it’s because here in Lower Silesia, the stereotype of mining families—where he works deep underground and she takes care of the children and the household, and so on—hasn’t taken root (as it did in the Dąbrowa Basin and Upper Silesia). Perhaps this was partly due to the fact that we had a larger percentage of immigrant populations, so there wasn’t a transmission of certain traditions and patterns from ancestors to ancestors.
I heard that your mining sympathies were also aroused in you because of your hobby, even if this connection may not immediately seem obvious to our readers…
You’re probably referring to mountain trekking, which was indeed one of my passions at the time. In school, I enjoyed hiking camps and walked extensively in the Sudetes and Bieszczady Mountains.
And yes—though this might seem paradoxical to some—mountains also drew my attention to minerals. People marveled at the rock masses towering proudly above the earth and wondered about their structure, what they contained, what they were composed of, and what fascinating things were happening beneath the surface. Back then, there was also much talk about the first flights to the moon. The prospect of space mining was opening up—even if very distant. These perhaps naive impulses, in my case, triggered a truly scientific interest in the subject.
Once the vision for mining science studies took shape, it was time to choose an institution. Why did you choose Wrocław University of Science and Technology?
Initially, I set my sights on the AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków, which was then considered the leading center for mining specializations nationwide. Soon after, I began to hear that mining science was developing just as dynamically at the nearby Wrocław University of Science and Technology… It didn’t take much convincing.
Your studies must have been a hit, since you decided to pursue a doctorate immediately after graduating…
It came rather naturally. From the time I graduated, I knew my future lay in the mining industry. I stayed at the university, and a friend who had been pursuing a philology degree eventually became the director of an open-pit mine in Australia. As you can see, there was plenty of room for women in mining if they showed interest and decided to acquire the necessary skills.
Let’s talk a bit about your research interests. Conveyor transport in mines is at the forefront. Where did the idea to specialize in this particular area come from?
Conveyor systems are an extremely important aspect of mine operations, even if, from a research perspective, they are sometimes overshadowed by other topics. Since my doctoral studies, my attention has focused primarily on the key element of the conveyor: the conveyor belt. Conveyor failure means significant financial losses for the mine. Hence, the idea arose to develop technological solutions that would increase belt durability and reduce the risk of failure. The focus was primarily on the weakest link, the belt connections, which were the most common source of failure. I have devoted extensive research to the issue of belt durability and have also obtained a number of patents.
It is also worth mentioning that initially, we focused much attention at the plant on the issue of belt flammability, which was a major fire hazard in mines. We proposed a number of improvements to reduce the risk of ignition.
If you had to name your greatest scientific achievement, it would be…
It’s difficult to pinpoint a single specific example, but if I had to, it would probably be the successful efforts to build a conveyor belt laboratory from scratch at our department. This required meeting numerous stringent standards and requirements. The laboratory is approved by the Polish Centre for Accreditation (PCA) and the State Mining Authority (WUG) as an entity authorized to issue opinions on conveyor belts. Maintaining the infrastructure, however, requires constant effort. Accreditations, maintenance, and audits are our daily routine, and this is just the tip of the iceberg. However, new laboratory stations allow us to work on new solutions, optimize existing ones, and conduct tests.
Apparently, behind the scenes, students called you “a tough mountain”… Are you a demanding teacher?
I’m demanding of myself and others, because that’s the only way we can move forward, but I’ve never had any problems with my relationships with students and doctoral candidates. On the contrary, they’ve usually been very good. I’ve always been open and tried to support their development. Teaching itself has always been high on my list of priorities. Teaching and educating young mining students, as well as observing their growth and subsequent success, has given me great joy over the years.
For a long time, you combined your research with providing analyses and expertise for business. Was one of these elements more important to you, and how did you manage to reconcile them?
From a young age, I wanted to be an engineer and had the ambition to ensure that what I did had some practical value. In science, I also focused primarily on applied research, often performed for industry or driven by its needs. This is how inventions, patents, and the idea for the aforementioned laboratory were born. I see bridges rather than divisions between these two worlds. In our industry, large industrial entities like KGHM have their own research units, which demonstrates their need for scientific research.
Exactly! You served as President of KGHM Cuprum for seven years. Perhaps you could compare how science operates in a corporation versus within a university? What are the key differences?
The research department at KGHM primarily conducts research that meets the needs of this particular institution. I suspect the same applies to other research units operating within industrial entities or companies from other sectors operating on the free market.
However, the ease of obtaining and participating in projects was a major advantage. For example, at universities, international projects (co-financed by funds from the Coal and Steel Research Fund or Horizon Europe, for example) often require the acquisition of partners in the form of private companies, partnerships, etc. In these relationships, universities and institutes therefore assume, in a sense, the role of a supplicant. KGHM and similar entities represent the other side of the table – they receive such proposals, and sometimes they can even choose among them…
Regarding the other side of the coin, it cannot be denied that large state-owned companies are subject to political influence, which is best illustrated by the turnover of management staff when the political pendulum swings in the opposite direction due to elections…
Furthermore, in the academic world, we have a certain ethos related to teaching, imparting knowledge, and educating students. In the private sector, the primary focus is on company results and development.
In recent years, I’ve often heard the opinion that science in Poland is underfunded and lagging behind business, which is more responsible for technological development. Is this just a stereotype, or is there some truth to it?
Indeed, despite many commonalities between science and business, financially they are different stories. This is painfully evident in the number of young people who, despite obvious scientific aptitudes, choose careers in industry, mostly for salary reasons. This is clearly demonstrated in recent years by the number of people dropping out of doctoral programs. Therefore, it is crucial that, in addition to the base salaries, which leave much to be desired, young scientists are engaged in grants and projects. Obtaining grants is equally challenging, and there is also a factor of salary instability – we cannot be sure that every submitted grant application will receive funding.
I wouldn’t say, however, that industry is more technologically advanced, although some may have such perceptions. Perhaps these factors hinder the initiation of collaboration between science and industry companies?
Does science lack marketing and persuasiveness, or is there perhaps also an element of bureaucracy and convoluted procedures involved?
The latter certainly doesn’t help, especially since time is often of the essence for companies. They prefer to have something faster, even at a higher price, than to receive a higher-quality solution later, after meeting numerous requirements and formalities.
Promotion is certainly there, but there seems to be a lack of tradition and culture of synergy between science and industry, as is the case in Germany, for example, where a significant portion of doctoral theses are developed in collaboration with companies, facilitating the practical implementation of research results. Across the Oder, scientists are also more trusted, which makes companies more willing to fund research.
You were the director of the Mining Institute, three times dean of the Faculty of Geoengineering, Mining, and Geology at the Wrocław University of Science and Technology, vice-rector of the Wrocław University of Science and Technology, and for seven years you also served as head of the KGHM Cuprum Research and Development Center in Wrocław. How do you recall this time, and how did you find your way in leadership roles?
When I became director of the Mining Institute, I was a young assistant professor, so it was certainly a significant challenge. However, I took over a very well-run institute with efficient administration, which allowed me to continue research and focus on promotional activities. I believed that because most of our research was practical and applied in nature, we would be able to secure contracts from the private sector. Back then, I toured various institutions and mines in my popular “Maluch” (a small car), mainly those involved in rock mining. I handed out leaflets, talked, persuaded, and sometimes simply let people remember me. I also visited the KGHM plant, which resulted in long-term collaborations. Close relationships also developed with the Lignite Industry Association and the Wrocław Power Plant. Years later, when the mines began operating as separate entities, relationships with industry often had to be rebuilt. As dean of the faculty, I had plenty to do…
Presiding at CUPRUM was a different era. It was certainly a period of intense adaptation to a strictly business-oriented approach. Learning accounting, which is handled by the bursar’s office at the University of Technology, proved to be a significant challenge. Things move at a university at their own pace, people help each other, and there’s no time to waste, and you also have to demonstrate a considerable degree of independence. So, I was thrown into the deep end, but I managed to adapt quite quickly. My experience in managing academic institutions undoubtedly helped. The common denominator was definitely the need to maintain relationships with diverse people and build a network of contacts. I’ve always been open to conversation and connecting with others, so it wasn’t difficult for me. Suffice it to say that during my first term as dean, I attended seventeen St. Barbara’s Day celebrations! At CUPRUM, there were many such contacts, and I have rather fond memories of them.
I’d also like to talk for a moment about what’s happening in the Polish mining industry. Over the last thirty years, its landscape has changed beyond recognition. At the dawn of the political transformation, it was a key industry, and today some see it as a kind of open-air museum, whose role is (or will soon be) purely historical. How do you assess these transformations?
Well, when it comes to coal, the outlook is quite clear. We no longer have many easily accessible deposits, and mining those at great depths is not economically viable, leaving aside technological difficulties and safety concerns (many deposits are located beneath densely built-up urban areas). Bogdanka is currently the only coal mine that remains profitable. The “Szczerców” deposit in Bełchatów will be exhausted in seven, maybe eight years. Then there’s JSW, with its critically important coking coal. However, the end of industrial-scale coal mining seems inevitable, especially since in many cases it can be imported more cheaply. Around the world, in countries like Australia and South Africa, mining is much cheaper, which is not only due to the lack of legal regulations that European producers are subject to, but also to the attractiveness of local deposits, which are often located more shallowly, in better geological conditions, and often exploited through open-pit mining. We’ve been drawing abundantly from such deposits over the past decades, and now they’re depleted…
Let’s remember, however, that mining isn’t just about “black gold.” Copper and rock minerals can still be mined, and a lot is happening in this area, both at KGHM and in other private facilities, where opportunities are growing.
And what about the role of coal as an emergency resource, contributing to improved energy security, especially in crisis situations like the COVID-19 pandemic or the war in Ukraine? Perhaps there’s some hope here?
It’s undoubtedly worthwhile to diversify energy sources, and this may offer a loophole, but let’s remember that we currently subsidize mining and will have to pay increasingly more. For many people living in Upper Silesia, connected to the coal industry, this might make sense, but I don’t know how long it will take to convince broader social circles to embrace this concept.
Overall, what’s your assessment of the energy transition process? Is the adopted transformation model truly the best possible?
From my perspective, the biggest problem is the lack of a consistent decarbonization strategy. Ideas for eliminating coal are constantly changing. There’s a lack of consistency in EU documents, but also a lack of understanding across divisions within our country. Each government has a different concept, and often there are several within a single camp, or even a single government…
How does Professor Hardygóra relax? Is it true that in between conducting research, conducting expert opinions, and managing institutions, you climbed five five-thousanders?
Mountains have been with me for as long as I can remember. I’ve been to the Himalayas and Mount Kilimanjaro, and I recently returned from a smaller trek in the Dolomites. I’ve also been skiing for half a century – on black skis for most of my life, now on red skis (laughter). On the map you see behind me, I’m marking the countries I’ve already had the pleasure of visiting – I couldn’t live without tourism. Currently, I have over 120 countries on my list and… over 100 mines. I should add that I’ve always used my vacation time to the very last day. This not only brings joy but also allows me to work with full energy upon returning.
I suspect that further expeditions are already planned – perhaps you can reveal a little bit of the secret?
This time, it’ll be a short trek in Switzerland, and during the summer, I plan to visit five former Soviet republics in Asia.
I wish you successful travels and thank you for the interview!
Interview by Marcin Hylewski
