Planning the Closure of Surface Coal Mines Based on Circular Economy Principles

The ongoing energy transition is expected to lead to the closure of many coal and lignite mines in the coming years, jeopardizing economic growth and social cohesion. The closure of a mine is a complex process that must be completed in accordance with the legislation and the environmental permit. The scope of this study is to prove that circular economy principles can contribute to the successful completion of a mine closure project, moving things beyond the narrow margins of legislation in two ways: (i) maximizing the recovery of materials with residual value and reducing the volume of discarded waste and (ii) by preparing rehabilitated mine land to be suitable for new uses that will assist in mitigating the economic and social impact and supporting sustainable development at the local and regional level. In this frame, based on the authors’ experience in mine planning and land reclamation projects, a series of new Rs are added to the three basics (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) in order to enhance materials and land management during mine closure. Furthermore, the closure of the lignite mines in the Greek Region of Western Macedonia is investigated. In this case, land reclamation projects and land uses were redesigned based on the principles of the circular economy and sustainable development goals, incorporating interventions such as the construction of photovoltaic parks and pumped storage systems and industrial areas. Based on these facts, the study concludes that the proposed approach for mine closure contributes to the achievement of the objectives of both the mining enterprises and the local governments that are seeking a new development model based on the inherent advantages of their region.