The last Slovenian coal mine to be converted to green energy, underground farming
The Slovenian company HTZ Velenje, a subsidiary of the lignite producer Premogovnik Velenje, is the contractor of a demanding solar power plant project. The country’s last coal mine is exploring methane mining options, a gravity power plant, underground energy storage and agriculture.
The last lignite complex in Slovenia has another decade to find solutions for the future, as the country may abandon the use of fossil fuels in 2033. The Velenje Coal Mine, the operator of the coal mine that supplies the endangered Šoštanj – TEŠ thermal power plant, has joined nine research and innovation projects. they are co-financed by the European Union Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS).
Separately, a subsidiary of the state-owned company HTZ Velenje began construction of a 2.6 MW solar power plant along the drainage channel of the Zlatoličje hydroelectric power plant in northeastern Slovenia. As a contractor, he is also responsible for the design and commissioning of the unit, which is part of the 30 MW project.
HTZ Velenje is moving to larger solar power plant projects
The segment is expected to have a maximum capacity of 2.7 MW. Premogovnik Velenje said that the company has an “extremely demanding task” due to the 30-degree slope and the proximity of the water. The planned annual production of the solar power plant is 3 GWh. It will be 905 meters long.
HTZ Velenje has taken out a loan in the amount of EUR 2 million to partially finance the project, which should be completed by the end of the year and connected to the network in the first quarter. The company has already built 13 small terrestrial and roof photovoltaic power plants with a total capacity of 4.2 MW, one of which is in Zlatoličje. He is currently working on a 3 MW solar power plant in Prapretno, on a rehabilitated ash and gypsum landfill.
An underground coal mine may be suitable for methane production, smart farming
RFCS projects will be implemented with partners from seven European countries, including Greece and Romania. One of them, Gravpower 2.0, is for a power plant that would use gravitational energy with a smart energy storage management system, the Velenje Coal Mine announced. The mine has a depth of up to 500 meters.
It is worth mentioning that Slovenia has recently adopted a law on the promotion of renewable energy sources and has various schemes to support green energy production.
The company will analyze the technical capacity of its underground coal mine to install a post-closure energy storage system. It will also work on methane production options and contribute to a sustainable hydrogen-based economy. Another possible use of abandoned underground galleries will be smart farming, covered by the Mine4Food project.
Premogovnik Velenje is preparing the concept of a gravity power plant for smart energy storage
Premogovnik Velenje said that it would promote coal mining as a European cultural heritage and improve job mobility and the creation of green jobs in accordance with the European Green Agreement and the principle of fair transition.
In the field of environmental protection, there are projects for the remediation and processing of mining waste, both with long-term monitoring. Premogovnik Velenje has revealed that it has so far obtained more than 2 million euros from the fund and expects some revenue from previous efforts under the RFCS program.
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