"Advancing Post-Mining Waste Dump Safety and Sustainability" (MiDSafe)
Project co-financed by the Research Fund for Coal and Steal
Project manager & contact person
dr inż. Adam Bajcar
phone.:+48 71 34 88 208
e-mail:
Project duration
Project duration: 2024.07.01 - 2027.06.30
News
News
#RFCS Workshop and FRAM & #MEMO Kick-off Meeting
On October 14–15, 2025, in Ostrava, Czechia, our long-term partner VUHU Institute organized an extensive event dedicated to the Research Fund for Coal and Steel (#RFCS) Programme. The two-day event combined an #RFCS Projects Workshop with the kick-off meetings of two new initiatives — #FRAM and #MEMO.
Our Institute was strongly represented by:
· Barbara Rogosz, PhD – Institute Director
· Adam Bajcar, PhD, Eng. – Head of the Mining Department
· Marcin Maksymowicz – Head of Sustainable Development and International Cooperation Department
During Day 1 (#RFCS Workshop), we presented our ongoing projects coordinated by the Institute, including:
· #MidSafe – Advancing Post-Mining Waste Dump Safety and Sustainability
· REECOL – Ecological Rehabilitation and Long-term Monitoring of Post-Mining Areas
· COFA Project – From Coal to Farm
The workshop provided an excellent opportunity to exchange experiences, strengthen collaboration, and explore synergies among ongoing #RFCS projects. Our Institute’s strong engagement in research and innovation related to coal transition, mine reclamation, and post-mining area redevelopment was clearly demonstrated - we are involved in five out of the eight projects presented during the event.
On Day 2, Adam Bajcar PhD, Eng. participated in the #FRAM Project Kick-off Meeting, marking the beginning of what we hope will be a fruitful and inspiring collaboration.
#FRAM Project (Fire Risk Assessment and Management of European Coal Heaps) will develop smart, renewable-powered systems using drones, sensors, and AI to detect and prevent fires in coal waste heaps across Europe. The project will map and assess these sites to guide safe reclamation, cut emissions, and support the EU’s green transition.
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to VUHU for organizing such a well-prepared event, and special appreciation to Lenka Antošová for her excellent hosting and warm hospitality.
MiDSafe Project – 3rd Scientific Meeting in Chania, Crete
📅 September 29–30th, 2025
📍 Hosted by the Technical University of Crete
We are thrilled to recap the third scientific meeting of the #MiDSafe Project, held in the beautiful city of Chania, Crete. Organized by the School of Mineral Resources Engineering, Technical University of Crete, this event brought together 40 researchers and experts from five European countries - Greece, Poland, Czechia, Romania, and Spain.
🔬 The #MiDSafe Project (Advancing Post-Mining Waste Dump Safety and Sustainability) focuses on:
- Enhancing safety and sustainability of coal and lignite waste dumps
- Identifying and mitigating geotechnical risks
- Developing innovative waste management methodologies
This meeting also featured collaboration with the GrEnMine Project, exploring and developing gravitational energy storage in post-mining areas.
Poltegor was represented by Adam Bajcar, PhD Eng. - Head of Mining Department and the Coordinator of #MiDSafe Project, as well as our Researchers Mateusz Markowski and Sławomir Szymanowicz.
👏 A big thank you to all participants and organizers for driving forward research and innovation in mining sustainability.
Technical University of Crete
Wrocław University of Science and Technology
Wydział Mechaniczny Politechnika Wrocławska
Wydział Inżynierii Lądowej i Gospodarki Zasobami AGH
VUHU
SYSTRA Subterra
National Technical University of Athens
Complexul Energetic Oltenia
University of Petrosani
TerraEye (previously Four Point)
Główny Instytut Górnictwa - Państwowy Instytut Badawczy
Lignitorycheia Achladas A.E.
University of Alba Iulia
AGH University of Krakow
PGE Górnictwo i Energetyka Konwencjonalna S.A.
⛏️ "Poltegor-Instytut" na XII edycji Szkoła Górnictwa Odkrywkowego ⛏️
W dniach 1–3 września 2025 r. w Wiśle, nasi przedstawiciele aktywnie uczestniczyli w SGO 2025, prezentując wyniki projektów badawczo-rozwojowych realizowanych w ramach Funduszu Badawczego Węgla i Stali: COFA Project, #MiDSafe, GrEnMine i REECOL project.
Wystąpienia naszych ekspertów dotyczyły m. in. zrównoważonego zagospodarowania terenów pogórniczych, grawitacyjnych magazynów energii oraz innowacyjnych kierunków transformacji energetycznej regionów węglowych.
Podczas wydarzenia:
🏅 dr inż. Adam Bajcar odebrał wyróżnienie „Przyjaciel Górnictwa Odkrywkowego”.
🤝 dr Barbara Rogosz, Dyrektorka Instytutu, przyjęła podziękowania dla sponsorów – "Poltegor-Instytut" tradycyjnie był Brązowym Sponsorem SGO.
Poltegor reprezentował także Marcin Maksymowicz z Pracowni Zrównoważonego Rozwoju i Współpracy Międzynarodowej.
👉 Kluczowe wnioski z obrad:
- górnictwo odkrywkowe pozostaje strategicznym filarem bezpieczeństwa surowcowego,
- konieczne jest uproszczenie procedur koncesyjnych i kwalifikacyjnych,
- Polska potrzebuje racjonalnej polityki surowcowo-energetycznej i inwestycji w nowe technologie.
XII edycja SGO potwierdziła swoją rolę jako najważniejszej platformy wymiany wiedzy w polskim górnictwie odkrywkowym.
Serdecznie dziękujemy organizatorom Wydział Inżynierii Lądowej i Gospodarki Zasobami AGH oraz wszystkim, z którymi mieliśmy okazję dyskutować, wymieniając się wiedzą i doświadczeniami.
📅 Już dziś zapowiedziano kolejną edycję – SGO 2026 odbędzie się w dniach 7–9 września w Wiśle.
Source - LinkedInXII Szkoła Górnictwa Odkrywkowego next week!
We are very pleased to announce that, as every year, we are a sponsor of one of the most renowned events in the mining industry in Poland, i.e. the twelfth edition of Szkoła Górnictwa Odkrywkowego!
In addition to supporting the event, our representatives and experts will actively participate in it as speakers, especially on Tuesday (02.09) when all our speeches are scheduled for the afternoon session.
At 5:05 p.m., the Director of the Institute, Dr. Barbara Rogosz, will give a presentation entitled "Sustainable use of land after lignite mining on the example of Eastern Wielkopolska", presenting, among others, selected results of projects implemented by the Institute, including REECOL project.
At 5:20 p.m., Dr. Adam Bajcar, Head of the Mining Laboratory and Project Coordinator #MiDSafe will give a presentation entitled "Development of open-pit lignite mine dumps - Project #MiDSafe ".
At 6:25 p.m., Dr. Adam Bajcar will give a presentation entitled "Multidimensional assessment of the suitability of post-mining areas for the needs of gravitational energy storage technology - Project GrEnMine ".
Finally, at 6:55 p.m., Marcin Maksymowicz, the head of the Sustainable Development and International Cooperation Laboratory will talk about the beginning of the COFA Project project, giving a presentation entitled "From Coal to the Farm - assumptions of the #COFA project".
In addition, in the early afternoon (1:00 p.m.), there will be a presentation by Prof. Wrocław University of Science and Technology Ph.D., Eng., Przemyslaw Moczko entitled "Transformation of post-mining areas for energy storage: potential, challenges and perspectives." This will be another presentation on the GrEnMine project we are involved in.
Source - LinkedIn08.04.2025 - Raport z postępu prac
Budget
The total cost of the project: 2 797 271.20 EUR
Consortium
POLTEGOR-INSTYTUT” INSTYTUT GÓRNICTWA ODKRYWKOWEGO (Poland) – Coordinator
NATIONAL TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF ATHENS
CENTRAL MINING INSTITUTE - NATIONAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE
LIGNITE MINES ACHLADAS S.A
WROCŁAW UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF CRETE
SOCIETATEA COMPLEXUL ENERGETIC OLTENIA SA
SYSTRA SUBTERRA INGENIERIA S.L.U.
UNIVERSITATEA 1 DECEMBRIE 1918
UNIVERSITATEA DIN PETROSANI
VUHU A.S.
Downloads
Materials to download
Deliverable 1.2
D1.2 - Communication and dissemination plan
Deliverable 1.3
D1.3 - Comprehensive overview of the project
Deliverable 2.1
D2.1 - Report on archival data, designs, past failures, guidelines and regulations on mining dumps and in- situ surveys of chosen dumps
Deliverable 2.2
D2.2 - Report on crucial factors influencing dumps and potential indicators of dump deformation and best practices and failures for re-utilization
Deliverable 2.3
D2.3 - Report on the European Coal & Lignite Mine Waste Dumps Database development
Deliverable 3.1
D3.1 - Reports on monitoring equipment possibilities for a new dumps continuous monitoring system
Project summary:
Post-mining waste dumps represent a highly intricate category of earth structures, primarily due to their complex geotechnical attributes exhibiting substantial variations in their physical, mechanical, and strength properties, occasionally leading to critical failures. The MiDSafe project aims to enhance safety and sustainability in coal and lignite mine waste dumps. It focuses on identifying, analyzing, and mitigating geotechnical and associated risks to improve waste management practices. MiDSafe's core mission includes establishing an extensive geotechnical database encompassing dumps from lignite and hard coal mines. This database will support risk assessment and the development of a practical monitoring system. Additionally, the project seeks to pioneer innovative materials to mitigate specific risks in these waste dumps. The MiDSafe initiative involves a multifaceted investigation of geotechnical and environmental hazards in mine dumps. This includes analyzing historical designs to create a comprehensive European Coal & Lignite Mine Waste Dumps Database. The project also evaluates options for repurposing waste dumps and designs an advanced monitoring system for continuous data collection, utilizing innovative methodologies such as fuzzy inference systems and 3D numerical modeling for assessing slope stability. Within MiDSafe's scope, a rigorous risk assessment methodology will be developed to identify potential risks impacting mine dumps. A comprehensive dump management strategy will also be formulated, alongside exploration of geotechnical aspects related to common revitalization methods. Ultimately, the MiDSafe project aims to minimize risks in post-mining waste dump management by developing innovative materials like geopolymers and zeolites, advancing safety, and enhancing sustainability.