An earthquake near PGG’s Marcel mine – part of the ROW mining complex near Rybnik, Poland – disrupted operations on Monday, resulting in one fatality and 11 injuries. The tremor occurred at a depth of 800 meters, impacting an area where 29 miners were working. This marks the second deadly incident in Poland’s coal mining industry in a week.
PGG has sealed the affected section of the mine due to elevated methane levels detected during post-event rescue operations. The company plans to investigate the site fully by 28 January before considering next steps.
Marcel is a key asset within PGG’s portfolio, producing a mix of thermal and semi-soft coking coal. While thermal coal dominates PGG’s production, Marcel contributes a larger proportion of semi-soft coking coal compared to other mines in the company’s network. PGG reported an annual output of 19 million tonnes in 2024, reflecting a 5-million-tonne decline from the prior year.
This incident follows a methane-related fire last week at JSW’s Szczyglowice met coal mine. Total coal output in Poland fell 9% in 2024, totaling 44.2 million tonnes, according to official government data released yesterday.