Paliwa sektora energetycznego i odpady chemii organicznej jako paliwo alternatywne a ochrona środowiska w Polsce w świetle przepisów Unii Europejskiej. Część I. Paliwa sektora energetycznego

Poland belongs to countries in Europe on average rich in fossil fuels. After the 2nd world war, as a result of search works conducted in the big scale, large deposits of hard coal, considerable reserves of lignite coal, moderate reserves of natural gas and small reserves of petroleum were discovered. The part of deposits was discovered in mining regions already known, like e.g. hard coal in upper-Silesian coal basin, or petroleum and natural gas in the eastern part of Carpatian, but fundamental growth of resources was substantiated in new areas: Lublin coal basin, Jastrzębie Zdrój, central and western Poland, Foreland of Carpatian, Sudety monocline as well as Pomerania and the Baltic Sea [1]. Hard coal is without a doubt main mineral resource of our country and through many years after 2nd world war was the base for the Polish economy, mainly for the heavy industry (smelting industry, chemical industry, energy understood widely). It decided about almost full independence of Poland from supplies of natural gas and petroleum, mainly from the east, then Soviet Union and today Russia [2]. According to examinations which were carried out in the Institute of Mineral Resources and Energy Economy PAoS, at the rational exploitation of coal with the respect of its stores, it will be possible to cover domestic needs for this raw material through about 70 years, however covering domestic needs from active at present levels of mines, at present not fully rational economy of resources, it will be enough for about 28 years. It is possible to lengthen this period to about 50 years after making new mining levels available and new deposits in those mines. If needs for hard coal will stay on the present level a necessity of construction of new mines will occur in year 2025. On account of running out of reserves of the lignite coal in deposits exploited at present, after year 2015 its extraction will start to decrease. Construction of mines will become current in the new Legnica basin, with using the potential of copper deposits exploitation fading out at that time in Lubin area. It is possible to predict, that deposits of the lignite coal, the ones substantiated already and the ones which will be discovered will make part of the base for manufacturing electric energy in the 21st century. About 250 deposits of the natural gas were discovered in Poland. Total their balance stores are at present 148 mld m3 and industrial 77 mld m3. When considering worldwide conditions, these deposits are small ones. Carrying drill activity connected with the search of petroleum and natural gas deposits may create risks for elements of the natural environment mainly as a result storing drilling wastewater and waste with unique properties.