Poland-based coking coal producer Jastrzebska Spolka Weglowa SA (JSW) has announced that it has launched an ambitious research and development project called METH2GEN with the aim of reducing methane emissions at its mines and converting waste methane into hydrogen. The project is backed by a €25.6 million budget, with JSW contributing over €20 million, and is co-financed by the European Union.
METH2GEN will implement advanced directional drilling methods to increase methane capture efficiency, particularly at JSW’s Budryk mine, raising longwall drainage effectiveness to around 70 percent. According to the company, this technology will not only enhance the mine safety, but also lower costs and reduce methane emissions.
The project’s second phase involves building a hydrogen production plant that uses steam methane reforming (SMR) technology. The plant will convert excess methane into hydrogen, with the resulting carbon dioxide to be captured and repurposed for fire prevention. Preparatory work is already underway, including the procurement of specialized drilling rigs and the selection sites for both the hydrogen plant and directional wells.
Hydrogen produced through this method is expected to be significantly more cost-effective than hydrogen produced via electrolysis. This development comes at a time when demand for decarbonization technologies is growingly rising both in Poland and global markets.
METH2GEN is one of four major EU-supported methane management projects led by JSW, with a combined value of over €63.8 million. These initiatives are central to JSW’s environmental strategy, which aims to reduce methane emissions, which currently account for 73 percent of the company’s carbon footprint. Methane is a greenhouse gas that is 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
