ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Decommissioning of a Lignite Mine Combined with the Development of a Pumped-Storage Power Plant: A Preliminary Feasibility Assessment
1
Faculty of Civil Engineering and Resource Management, AGH University of Krakow, Krakow, Poland
These authors had equal contribution to this work
Submission date: 2025-05-16
Final revision date: 2025-10-30
Acceptance date: 2025-11-12
Online publication date: 2025-12-08
Publication date: 2025-12-08
Corresponding author
Wojciech Robert Naworyta
Katedra Górnictwa Odkrywkowego, AGH University of Science and Technology, Al. Mickiewicza 30, 30059, Kraków, Poland
Katedra Górnictwa Odkrywkowego, AGH University of Science and Technology, Al. Mickiewicza 30, 30059, Kraków, Poland
Civil and Environmental Engineering Reports 2025;35(4):212-227
KEYWORDS
lignite minemine decommissioningpumped-storage power plantenergy storageexternal dumprenewable energy
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
This publication addresses the potential construction of a pumped-storage power plant (PSP) in post-lignite mining areas.The Turów mine, located in the Bogatynia commune in southwestern Poland, was selected as a case study. Several design variants for the upper reservoir, situated on the former external mine dump, were analyzed. Several design variants for the upper reservoir, situated on the former external mine dump, were analyzed. Based on data from existing Polish PSP facilities, the potential capacity of the Turów PSP was estimated depending on the selected reservoir configuration. The study highlights the advantages of coordinating the construction of the PSP with the mine closure process. The use of mining machines withdrawn from the mine was recommended. Earth masses from the dump should be used in the process of preparing the final excavation to serve as a reservoir. Combining the construction of the PSPP with the liquidation of the mine will accelerate both processes and reduce costs. The presented project is of a future nature. According to the concession, the end of mining will take place no later than 2044. Preparing the excavation to serve as a reservoir and filling the reservoir with water may take up to 4 decades. Due to the limited availability of water, it is difficult to accelerate this process. As a result, electricity from the PSP may flow at the earliest in the 80s of the 21st century. A general conclusion drawn from this study is that former lignite mining sites—featuring excavations that can serve as reservoirs and adjacent external dumps—offer significant potential for the development of pumped-storage power plants. The article also identifies additional locations with similar suitability for future PSP development.
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| eISSN: | 2450-8594 |
| ISSN: | 2080-5187 |
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