Changes in the Development of Preparatory Roadway Excavations in Polish Mines Associated with the Economic Decarbonization Process

Poland is the largest hard coal producer in the European Union. Changes observed during the energy transition, undertaken to slow climate change, is reducing demand for fossil fuels. The restructuring of the hard coal mining industry in Poland is adapting the sector to new market, environmental, and social challenges. Currently, the Polish energy sector is not prepared to rapid phase-out the combustion of thermal coal. A transition period is necessary, during which the Polish hard coal mining industry must provide sufficient coal to stabilize the power grid through coal-fired power plants. Coal extraction occurs in extraction excavations, but to enable their operation, mining companies must conduct a certain amount of preparatory roadways. The article analyzes the changes occurring in the basic technical parameters of excavated preparatory excavations and the difficulties affecting the length and number of excavated preparatory roadways. Selected reasons for the temporary suspension of excavated preparatory roadways are also analyzed. An attempt is made to identify the most important causes of these limitations and proposes recommendations. The obtained results of the statistical review of difficulties in preparatory exploitation will be used to present a picture of the current condition of the sector and to forecast possible directions of transformation of the hard coal mining sector in Poland and can potentially be used in other countries conducting similar decarbonization processes.