Author(s):
1. Nenad Popovic, EPS Group, Serbia

Abstract:
Lignite is a strategic and dominant energy source for Republic of Serbia and the Kolubara coal basin of clearly contribute to the country's stable, secure energy supply and remains one of the main fuels for power generation within the long-term energy development plans of EPS Group. In May 2014 heavy rains had hit Serbia's energy sector, lignite basins Kolubara and Kostolac.The worst situation was in Kolubara lignite basin, at open pit mine Tamnava West where artificial lake of 20 squaring kilometers was formed, with depth of more than 50 meters. Flooding had cut Serbian power generation by 40 percent, forcing the country to boost electricity imports.Estimated damage was over € 100 million. In Tamnava West and V.Crljeni fields were flooded 9 bucket wheel escavators, belt conveyors, a few spreaders, auxiliary machinery and mining equipment. Urgent demand was high capacity pumping stations, drainage pipelines with different diameters, energy supply facilities, stable floating pontoons and many other material recourse. Considering the fact that 2014 annual coal production was seriously threatened, all activity – dewatering and pumping objects and facility positioning, river bed water quantity monitoring and area aquifer water levels, water and mud quality monitoring analysis, river bed morphologicall changes analysis and monitoring, ground water level monitoring, open pit benches and internal overburden dumps stability analysis, additional on-site survey works were carried out. During the water pumping additional geotechnical stability improvement procedures and assessment were obtained in order to avoid open pit mine slope instability. Likewise the new embankments, preventive walls, overflow places had built in comply with all civil engineering, geotechnical and coal mining standards. First lignite coal quantity from partially recovered open pit mine Tamnava West was delivered on 26th of December 2014.

Key words:
lignite, flood,drainage, methodology, regeneration

Thematic field:
The logistics processes and environmental effects

Date of abstract submission:
03.09.2017.

Conference:
7th Balkan Mining Congress

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