The Balance of Outlays and Effects of Restructuring Hard Coal Mining Companies in Terms of Energy Policy of Poland PEP 2040

Abstract

The article aimed to present the balance of outlays and the effects of restructuring Polish hard coal mining companies in the face of directions of the Energy Policy of Poland PEP 2040. The research problem is defined by the following question: have the goals of restructuring coal mining companies been achieved (and to what extent), and has the restructuring-related expenditure been economically rational? An answer to this question is based on the verification of five research hypotheses, in particular, have the incurred costs of restructuring contributed to changes to the energy mix (its desired time and degree), reducing related expenditure? The scope of research comprises all companies engaged in the extraction of solid mineral energy resources (the entire industry). An assessment of the restructuring process was conducted from two perspectives related to its time and scope. The first perspective was the restructuring programme as a sub-process of the economic transformation (1990–2020), and economic forecasts until the planned coal phase-out (2021–2049). The second perspective was an analysis of the mechanism that determines companies’ performance after carrying out typical and direct restructuring activities (2007–2021). Two multivariate measures were developed for methodological purposes, and the analysis also made use of a logit prediction model and several financial analysis ratios. The analysis led to the general conclusion that the restructuring of hard coal mining companies was not effective—it did not ensure their independent and effective functioning. In particular, the analysis led to the following conclusions: (1) the restructuring process had different levels of intensity, which allowed for its periodization; (2) the main and increasingly important factor of changes was human labour productivity (as opposed to objectified labour—machines and equipment); (3) the identified mechanism of creating results pointed to the areas of inappropriate management; (4) the previous restructuring costs did not contribute to changing the energy mix, and they are likely to rise until coal phase-out.

Configurational Path of Decarbonisation Based on Coal Mine Methane (CMM): An Econometric Model for the Polish Mining Industry

“…Radical changes have been introduced to Polish mines since 1990 when the economy was changed to a market economy and mines became capital companies. It can be expected that with Poland's radical energy policy (moving away from coal as an energy source), which is in line with European policy, mines need to be restructured again [77,78]. This time, methane may have to be used as a gas.…”

European Climate Policy in the Context of the Problem of Methane Emissions from Coal Mines in Poland

“…It is carried out in only two deposits, and the annual volume of extraction is about 5 million cubic meters (data for 2020), which is 1 per mille of national gas extraction and about 1.7% of methane captured during coal mining [54]. It has been assumed that the most important criterion indicating the possibility of extracting methane from a discontinued deposit is the total amount of methane emissions (methane yield) recorded during coal mining [55,56]. In the case of closed mines, the amount of methane decreases from year to year.…”

“…According to estimates by the Central Mining Institute, during the first year, the amount of methane emissions from a single longwall drops to less than 20% of the average methane yield of that longwall from the period of its operation [54]. After a few years, the amount of methane emitted is only a few percent of the initial volume of emissions, and after a dozen years (estimated to be about 15 years), emissions virtually disappear [54][55][56].…”

Quantitative Analysis of the Influence of Coal Mining on the Underflow Zone of Rivers by Using Double Integro-differential Equations

“…[2]. Accurate measurement and measurement of the quality of water resources and changes in carbon sinks in mining areas is a necessary link in formulating environmental governance measures and comprehensively accounting for the environmental cost of coal mining [3].…”