ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REDUCTION THROUGH MINE METHANE VALORIZATION IN THE ROMANIAN COLLIERIES FROM VALEA JIULUI HARD COAL BASIN

Methane emissions released into the atmosphere during coal mining, exerts a double environmental impact, namely they participate to the ozone layer depletion process and, simultaneously, they have a significant contribution to the enforcement of the greenhouse effect. On the other hand, this methane can be used by the mining operators, as main or ancillary fuel resource for energetic purposes. Until now, in Romania an overall energetic potential study was not systematically carried out, regarding the hard coal basin Valea Jiului. The paper presents, based on several systematic measurement campaign's results, the estimate for the methane volumes released both through the main ventilation shafts and the central degasification plants, from the collieries operating in this basin. There are also synthesized and outlined the results obtained by means of comparative analysis on coal mine methane valorization alternatives and the feasibility of environmental impact mitigation by Valea Jiului methane valorization.