Environment Energy Mining Watch SEE|Investors|Bosnia: Strategic planning for development of “Gacko” coal basin

Bosnia: Strategic planning for development of “Gacko” coal basin

, Investors

Strategic planning of “Gacko” coal basin development, is a process that should determine the parameters for efficient and effective coal mining management, in the context of sustainable management of the entire mining basin area, with all its components, with the primary objective of satisfying the needs for current and future coal thermal power plants.

The product of this process is a strategic planning document, an action development plan of Gacko basin, and makes it dynamic, procedural and content determined by the technical documentation for the further development of coal mining in the basin – said in the opening statement of the paper: Strategic planning of development of “Gacko” coal basin. The paper was presented at the XI International Conference on surface mining – OMC 2014 and it is the result of cooperation of the authors Mr Sasa Boskovic, Nenad Lasica, and Mr Bojan Vukovic from of ZP “Rudnik and “Gacko” TPP.
The paper states that for the purpose of open pit mine “Gacko” opening, three documents are developed so far: Study on site selection phase II of the mine, Development program of surface coal mining in the “Gacko” basin, to 2020 and Feasibility Study of the energy basin “Gacko” development.
Bearing in mind the considerable coal reserves increase, the authors believe that the changes are necessary because of coal quality requirements of TPP “Gacko”, but also for new information on the occurrence of lithological member N8 with increased resistance, which cause a change of overburden excavation technology, in which case the Study on site selection for phase II of mine “Gacko” may not be used as Feasibility Study for the purpose of obtaining a concession for coal exploitation. Development Program, still the authors explain, is made for the period up to 2020, i.e. until the end of operational life of “Gacko” TPP without revitalization. As pointed out, the designer did not have detailed geological data for lithological member N8 with increased resistance to excavation.
Bearing in mind the anticipated extension of the operation of “Gacko” TPP to 2039, new data on geological exploration works and the annual production increase of 1,800,000 tons of coal in a given Development Program and the current capacity of 2,300,000 tons after overhaul of the plant TPP “Gacko”, it is clear that development program that is no longer up to date, the authors conclude.
In the meantime, Gracanica riverbed is relocated from the operation zone of the new mine and works on the relocation of the river Musnica are close to end, thus, the authors write, creating conditions for coal exploitation on the south side of the open pit mine, enabling its proper development, overburden ratio equalization, definitive choice of exploitation technique and technology, redistribution of excavated mass and deposits redesign, primarily through new techno-economic documentation.
Since the Supplementary mining design of coal mining of eastern part of “Gracanica” mine is valid until 2015, for the further strategic development and sustainable exploitation of coal in the Gacko basin, the paper authors state that an urgent implementation of the action plan and techno – economic documents stemming is necessary. Dynamic, and bearing in mind the current situation of coal mining in the Gacko basin, an action plan must be implemented by the end of 2015.

Download PDF

LATEST NEWS

error: Content is protected !!