KGHM Polska Miedz : 20th anniversary of KGHM's largest department

The ceremony took place in Legnica, with more than 200 employees attending - together with the retired directors of the Polkowice mine, and the younger one - Sieroszowice. The former began its operations already in 1968, Sieroszowice - 12 years later. In the mid-1990s, the Board of KGHM decided to merge both plants. The reasons included declining resources of Polkowice and poor technical infrastructure in Sieroszowice. The merger was to resolve these issues and give the prospect of development in mining for the whole of KGHM. As mentioned by the participants of the anniversary gala, the merger between these two mines was a project of unprecedented scope and breadth. Two organisms with their own infrastructure, culture, machinery and thousands of employees had to be integrated.

On 1 January 1996 both mines operated as one entity: The Polkowice-Sieroszowie Mine. Lech Jaroń became the executive director of this giant. He mentions that people were the most important in merging both mines.

- Initially, the task was more about communication than technology. We had dozens of meetings with employees. The first discussions were the most difficult, most concerns were brought up then - says Lech Jaroń, honorary guest of Sierpol's gala - However, people soon began to notice positive changes - he adds.

Your celebrations is particularly pleasing - said Krzysztof Skóra, President of KGHM Polska Miedź -Despite difficult conditions, the Polkowice-Sieroszowice mine is a modern and very well structured plant with a high production value. Excellent results would not be possible if not for the knowledge and expertise of people who face many difficulties and challenges on a daily basis. The development of the 'Deep Industrial Głogów' project, the largest deep copper mining project in Europe in terms of resources, allows to look at the potential of the Polkowice-Sieroszowice Mine optimistically - the President added.

Today, the Polkowice-Sieroszowice mine is the most modern mine in KGHM, operating on four deposits: 'Polkowice', 'Radwanice Wschodnie', 'Sieroszowice' and parts of the 'Deep Industrial Głogów' deposit, with a total area of 175 square kilometres.

Extraction is carried out thanks to 9 shafts. The newest one, SW-4, named after Tadeusz Zastawnik, is currently being reinforced. At the same time, the GG-1 shaft remains under construction. Both shafts open a future that involves mining below the level of 1200 metres. Industrial reserves used by this mine (as at December 31, 2015) amount to 409 million tonnes of copper ore. There are also rich deposits of rock salt in the Sieroszowice deposit. Mining in Polkowice-Sieroszowice requires the use of selective systems. The shale component of present here, rich in copper and silver ore, has a fundamental flaw - its thickness is usually less than half a meter. Therefore, the machinery was adapted to the specificity of the deposit - drilling, bolting and blasting rigs, loaders, haulers are all 1.3 to 1.85 metre high. Difficult conditions present in the mine required a modern and efficient central air conditioning station, which provides cool air to the mine.

Unprecedented operating conditions and applied solutions show the huge innovative potential of the crew. Many solutions created by employees and used in KGHM are unique on a global scale. The mine has a well-developed IT network, which allows to implement modern technologies on a regular basis. Innovative solutions based on automation ensure the safety of workers, who do not have to stay in hazard zones. The current production capacity of the Polkowice-Sieroszowice mine amounts to approx. 12 million tonnes of ore per year. In 2015, the mine extracted more than 201,000 tonnes of copper, almost 234,000 tonnes of salt and more than 390,000 tonnes of silver. The prospects for the next several decades allow to continuously develop the potential of the mine.

Communication and CSR Department