A new chapter in the construction of the first such shaft in the history of Polish mining

• Grzegorz is the first shaft in the history of Polish coal mining sunk from the so-called final shaft tower.
• It is also one of the two largest mining investments in coal mines in Poland in the last twenty years and the first investment in coal mines in 30 years to use rock mass freezing.
• The general contractor of the project is Przedsiębiorstwo Budowy Szybów.

The construction of the Grzegorz shaft at the Sobieski Mining Plant - connecting the horizontal workings with the shaft - is the achievement of another milestone of this investment.

The Grzegorz shaft will ultimately serve as a ventilation and intake shaft as well as a material and descent shaft.

The Grzegorz shaft will ultimately serve a ventilation-intake and material-descent function. Its target depth will be 591.2 m. By the end of 2025, work will be carried out on the construction of a two-sided inlet at level 540 m (14.5 m from the shaft axis towards the north and 29 m towards the south).

The ventilation connection of the bored shaft with horizontal workings will allow for the intensification of works to access the Dąb deposit, rich in high-quality coal, which is the foundation for the next years of operation of both the mine and the energy sector in the region.

It should be recalled here that the Sobieski Mining Plant is connected to the Jaworzno power plant by a railway line approximately 4 km long , which ensures fast and safe transport of coal, the parameters of which are suitable for combustion in a 910 MW unit.

The Grzegorz Shaft will perform a number of important functions in the Sobieski Mining Plant. The most important of them include:

• people transport - will serve as the main means of transporting workers to and from the workings located in the mine.
• Transport of materials - will enable the transport of materials necessary for the operation and maintenance of excavations.
• Ventilation - will also be part of the mine's ventilation system, ensuring adequate air circulation in the workings.
• Safety - will shorten the time it takes for the deposit to reach the exploitation fronts, which will significantly increase the level of work safety.

The launch of the Grzegorz shaft will increase the efficiency and effectiveness of coal mining at the Sobieski Mining Plant.

It will also allow - based on the resource base of the Dąb deposit - to stabilize the production level and ensure continuity of supplies to the energy sector. Obtaining full functionality of the shaft will also significantly improve the safety and comfort of the crew, as well as - thanks to the possibility of decommissioning a significant part of the current infrastructure - reduce the operating costs of the mine.

The Sobieski Mining Plant has a concession for coal mining until 2063.

The Sobieski Mining Plant has a concession for coal extraction until 2063. This is the longest concession in Poland . The near completion of the investment related to the launch of a new shaft gives hope for the long-term operation of the mine.

It will remain one of the key coal producers in the region and will constitute an important element of the coal industry securing the national security of energy supplies during the long-term process of energy transformation.

Południowy Koncern Węglowy is a producer of thermal coal. The company manages three mining plants located in western Małopolska and the eastern part of the Silesian Voivodeship: Zakład Górniczy Sobieski in Jaworzno, Zakład Górniczy Brzeszcze in Brzeszcze and Zakład Górniczy Janina in Libiąż. The coal extracted by these plants goes mainly to the energy and heating sectors and households.