Economic viability of a pilot-scale catalytic ventilation air methane oxidation plant used in coal mines

2026
journal article
article
1
dc.abstract.enMethane is one of the most potent greenhouse gases, with a Global Warming Potential (GWP100) 27.9 times greater than that of $CO_{2}$ when measured as carbon dioxide equivalent. Therefore, the development and implementation of effective methods for reducing methane emissions are crucial for environmental protection, especially when these methods also provide additional technical or economic benefits. This article presents the results of an economic efficiency analysis conducted for a pilot-scale installation developed to reduce climate hazards in coal mines, based on a reactor for the catalytic oxidation of ventilation air methane. The economic feasibility of this installation operating under real conditions in underground coal mines was evaluated, and the analysis is based on actual operational data. The analysis was performed using a differential financial model. The capital and operating expenditures of the pilot-scale installation were compared with the costs of purchasing, installing, and operating a standard MK-500 cooling unit commonly used in Polish coal mines. The following economic efficiency indicators were obtained for the determined cash flows: Net Present Value (NPV) of 1.66 m EUR and Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of 24.6%. The results indicate that the pilot-scale technology becomes economically viable solely through the avoidance of methane emission penalties. The analysis identified the cost and macroeconomic parameters necessary for the economic viability of the technologies studied and established the methane emission penalty threshold at which operating the catalytic methane oxidation reactor system becomes justified (EUR 638/$Mg CH_{4}$). The paper presents the factors with the greatest and least impact on the economic efficiency of the analyzed pilot-scale installation. The proposed pilot-scale approach offers a realistic pathway for combining greenhouse gas mitigation with operational stability in underground mining.
dc.affiliationPion Prorektora ds. nauki : Małopolskie Centrum Biotechnologii
dc.contributor.authorHildebrandt, Robert
dc.contributor.authorKrawczyk, Piotr
dc.contributor.authorSmołka, Marcin
dc.contributor.authorSkrzypkowski, Krzysztof
dc.contributor.authorJędrzejczyk, Roman - 142206
dc.date.accessioned2026-03-17T13:21:09Z
dc.date.available2026-03-17T13:21:09Z
dc.date.createdat2026-03-05T09:22:55Zen
dc.date.issued2026
dc.date.openaccess0
dc.description.accesstimew momencie opublikowania
dc.description.number5
dc.description.versionostateczna wersja wydawcy
dc.description.volume19
dc.identifier.articleid1290
dc.identifier.doi10.3390/en19051290
dc.identifier.issn1996-1073
dc.identifier.projectDRC AI
dc.identifier.urihttps://ruj.uj.edu.pl/handle/item/571965
dc.languageeng
dc.language.containereng
dc.rightsUdzielam licencji. Uznanie autorstwa 4.0 Międzynarodowa
dc.rights.licenceCC-BY
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.pl
dc.share.typeotwarte czasopismo
dc.source.integratorfalse
dc.subject.enventilation air methane (VAM)
dc.subject.encoal mine methane
dc.subject.encatalytic methane oxidation
dc.subject.enstructured reactor
dc.subject.enenergy recovery
dc.subject.entechno-economic analysis
dc.subject.encarbon pricing
dc.subject.enunderground coal mines
dc.subtypeArticle
dc.titleEconomic viability of a pilot-scale catalytic ventilation air methane oxidation plant used in coal mines
dc.title.journalEnergies
dc.typeJournalArticle
dspace.entity.typePublicationen
dc.abstract.en
Methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gases, with a Global Warming Potential (GWP100) 27.9 times greater than that of $CO_{2}$ when measured as carbon dioxide equivalent. Therefore, the development and implementation of effective methods for reducing methane emissions are crucial for environmental protection, especially when these methods also provide additional technical or economic benefits. This article presents the results of an economic efficiency analysis conducted for a pilot-scale installation developed to reduce climate hazards in coal mines, based on a reactor for the catalytic oxidation of ventilation air methane. The economic feasibility of this installation operating under real conditions in underground coal mines was evaluated, and the analysis is based on actual operational data. The analysis was performed using a differential financial model. The capital and operating expenditures of the pilot-scale installation were compared with the costs of purchasing, installing, and operating a standard MK-500 cooling unit commonly used in Polish coal mines. The following economic efficiency indicators were obtained for the determined cash flows: Net Present Value (NPV) of 1.66 m EUR and Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of 24.6%. The results indicate that the pilot-scale technology becomes economically viable solely through the avoidance of methane emission penalties. The analysis identified the cost and macroeconomic parameters necessary for the economic viability of the technologies studied and established the methane emission penalty threshold at which operating the catalytic methane oxidation reactor system becomes justified (EUR 638/$Mg CH_{4}$). The paper presents the factors with the greatest and least impact on the economic efficiency of the analyzed pilot-scale installation. The proposed pilot-scale approach offers a realistic pathway for combining greenhouse gas mitigation with operational stability in underground mining.
dc.affiliation
Pion Prorektora ds. nauki : Małopolskie Centrum Biotechnologii
dc.contributor.author
Hildebrandt, Robert
dc.contributor.author
Krawczyk, Piotr
dc.contributor.author
Smołka, Marcin
dc.contributor.author
Skrzypkowski, Krzysztof
dc.contributor.author
Jędrzejczyk, Roman - 142206
dc.date.accessioned
2026-03-17T13:21:09Z
dc.date.available
2026-03-17T13:21:09Z
dc.date.createdaten
2026-03-05T09:22:55Z
dc.date.issued
2026
dc.date.openaccess
0
dc.description.accesstime
w momencie opublikowania
dc.description.number
5
dc.description.version
ostateczna wersja wydawcy
dc.description.volume
19
dc.identifier.articleid
1290
dc.identifier.doi
10.3390/en19051290
dc.identifier.issn
1996-1073
dc.identifier.project
DRC AI
dc.identifier.uri
https://ruj.uj.edu.pl/handle/item/571965
dc.language
eng
dc.language.container
eng
dc.rights
Udzielam licencji. Uznanie autorstwa 4.0 Międzynarodowa
dc.rights.licence
CC-BY
dc.rights.uri
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.pl
dc.share.type
otwarte czasopismo
dc.source.integrator
false
dc.subject.en
ventilation air methane (VAM)
dc.subject.en
coal mine methane
dc.subject.en
catalytic methane oxidation
dc.subject.en
structured reactor
dc.subject.en
energy recovery
dc.subject.en
techno-economic analysis
dc.subject.en
carbon pricing
dc.subject.en
underground coal mines
dc.subtype
Article
dc.title
Economic viability of a pilot-scale catalytic ventilation air methane oxidation plant used in coal mines
dc.title.journal
Energies
dc.type
JournalArticle
dspace.entity.typeen
Publication
Affiliations

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