Legal Conditions for Investments in Renewable Energy in the Overburden Disposal Areas in Poland

Marta Resak, Barbara Rogosz, Jacek Szczepiński and Mariusz Dziamara
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Marta Resak: Poltegor-Institute, 51-616 Wroclaw, Poland
Barbara Rogosz: Poltegor-Institute, 51-616 Wroclaw, Poland
Jacek Szczepiński: Poltegor-Institute, 51-616 Wroclaw, Poland
Mariusz Dziamara: PAK Konin Lignite Mine S.A., 62-540 Kleczew, Poland

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 3, 1-24

Abstract: The article analyzes opportunities of locating large-scale wind or solar farms in overburden disposal areas, formed as a result of opencast lignite mining. Its main purpose is to present different conditions and limitations for such investments in post-mining regions. The most important aspects include wind or sunlight conditions, geotechnical conditions of the overburden disposal areas where soil and rock materials were deposited during many years of lignite mining and local spatial planning conditions defined by local governments. These, and other conditions cause that the wind or photovoltaic plant investment in the overburden disposal area, might create a challenging process. The legal requirements are discussed in detail, regarding spatial, environmental and infrastructural characteristics of the overburden dumping sites situated inside Jóźwin II B and Jóźwin IIA open pits belonging to the PAK Konin Lignite Mine S.A. located in the west-central part of Poland. The results demonstrate that among the legal conditions for the construction of renewable energy plants, the most restrictive limitation concerns wind farms and precludes the rehabilitation of Konin overburden dumps in this direction. Until the construction of wind farms is legally impossible at closer distances to residential buildings, photovoltaic power plants are the only option for the development of post-mining areas towards large-scale renewable power generation.

Keywords: overburden disposal area; reclamation; wind turbine; photovoltaic plant; legal regulations (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:3:p:1065-:d:727191

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