TAURON Polska Energia expressed initial interest in the purchase of the whole or a part of KWK Brzeszcze assets from Spółka Restrukturyzacji Kopalń (Coal Mine Restructuring Company), unless the economically viable coal extraction is possible in this plant. On 16 January Kompania Węglowa and Spółka Restrukturyzacji Kopalń sent an inquiry concerning the purchase of the whole or a part of assets of four coal mines contributed to SRK.
TAURON reserves that the final decision of the company determining the terms and conditions of the potential transaction will be preceded by a detailed analysis, in particular, in economic and technical scope. Within the process of potential purchase of the whole or a part of KWK Brzeszcze assets from SRK, TAURON will search for a financial or infrastructural investor.
TAURON Group, as the second biggest electricity producer in the country, consumes almost 10 million tons of hard coal per year in its power plants and combined heat and power plants and controls the full energy chain which starts from coal mining (extraction, generation, distribution, sales, customer service).
- We have competence in the scope of management of mining enterprises. TAURON Group has already proved that the marriage of energy with mining may be beneficial for both parties. Our structures comprise two hard coal mines concentrated in TAURON Wydobycie, employing over 6 thousand people, which, due to the restructuring and merger with power industry, successfully supply hard coal for power plants and combined heat and power plants in the Group – says Dariusz Lubera, President of the Management Board of TAURON Polska Energia.
More coal from own sources
One of the strategic goals of TAURON is the growth of mining from own sources and, consequently, increasing of the coverage of coal demand within the Group. The Holding – through TAURON Wydobycie company comprising mining plants: Sobieski in Jaworzno and Janina in Libiąż – controls 20 per cent of Polish steam hard coal resources and achieves a 5-per cent ratio of the domestic coal mine extraction.
– At the moment, companies concentrated in the Group satisfy approximately 40 per cent of its fuel demand; in accordance with the adopted assumptions, this ratio should exceed 50 per cent in the nearest years. In order to face this challenge we implement significant investments in mining plants. We expressed our initial interest in purchasing of the whole or a part of KWK Brzeszcze assets since it is possible that this coal mine, following its deep restructuring may contribute to increasing of the fuel independence level of TAURON Group – Dariusz Lubera informs.
TAURON Wydobycie – a successful marriage of mining and energy industry
TAURON Wydobycie is the entity responsible for hard coal mining area in TAURON Group. The company includes two mining plants: Sobieski in Jaworzno and Janina in Libiąż.
At the end of the 1990s the former Jaworzno coal mine, based on which Zakład Górniczo-Energetyczny Sobieski was established, occupied one of the last places in the ranking of Polish mining plants in terms of mining effectiveness. The threat of enterprise liquidation and, consequently, the loss of thousands of jobs, was very realistic at that time. However, the decision was made on establishment of the company: Zakład Górniczo-Energetyczny Sobieski Jaworzno III, where Elektrownia Jaworzno III and Nadwiślańska Spółka Węglowa became the shareholders. Partners from the energy industry provided capital injection for the company whereas Nadwiślańska Spółka Węglowa contributed production assets. As a result - following deep restructuring - and owing to the efficient management, the company became the economically effective business entity capable of competing on the market. In 2003, a similar scenario was repeated in Janina coal mine in Libiąż, then belonging to Kompania Węglowa. Consequently, Zakład Górniczo-Energetyczny Janina was established. In 2005 both companies were merged into a single company – Południowy Koncern Węglowy. In December 2013 TAURON repurchased 16.7 million of PKW shares from Kompania Węglowa, constituting 47.5 per cent of the company capital, consequently becoming its sole owner. In February 2014 the company changed its name into TAURON Wydobycie.
