Gubin Coal Mine

51º 57' 25'' N 14º 44' 57'' E

West

Poland

Description

The Gubin coal mine is a large mine in the west of Poland in Gubin, Lubusz Voivodeship, 350 km west of the capital, Warsaw. It is is a proposed new lignite coal mine and a 2,700- to 3,000 megawatt (MW) coal power station in the Gubin area of Poland by state-owned Polska Grupa Energetyczna

Extracted Materials

Gubin represents one of the largest coal reserve in Poland having estimated reserves of 282.7 million tonnes of coal. The annual coal production is around 5.5 million tonnes.

Antropological info

The main argument for opening mines used by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk is to lower Europe’s dependence on Russian natural gas. However, the project is feared to cause significant negative. environmental, health and climate impacts, warns Greenpeace Poland. 

Sociologal info

The renovated main streets of the town are filled with lush green, the building of the former Wilke’s hat factory is the home of a modern municipal services centre including the Municipal Office, library, music school and the Old Dye Work, performance hall, etc. Citizens are especially proud of the bicycle paths leading to the town attractive settings, to picturesque lakes and the surroundings with beautiful landscapes. Citizens are especially proud of the bicycle paths leading to the town attractive settings, to picturesque lakes and the surroundings with beautiful landscapes.

Archaeological info

The start and fall of hat manufacture in Guben as well as the whole history of the town and the industry is displayed in the Town and Industry Museum located in the former Wilke's hat factory in Gasstraße. In the end of World War II the town and especially its centre was nearly completely destroyed. The Potsdam Agreement fixed the separation of the town into two parts, the German Guben and the Polish Gubin. Two third of the territory –the eastern part including the historical centre and the Krosno suburbs and Werdawa suburbs are now on the Polish side.

Sustainable tourism insights

Polish-German twin city Guben-Gubin is building bridges between countries and nations, between the past and the present. For years the Neisse river was a border line. Today it marks a blue ribbon on both sides of which Guben and Gubin are getting closer to each other again.

 

Environment sustainability

Its coal assets have been chronically underperforming, as shown by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) earlier this year . PGE bungled the Gubin project from early on by also failing to secure an Environmental Impact Assessment for the mine in time.