Coal
mine Tusnica and coal fired power plant Kakanj
The coal mine Tusnica is situated near the
town Livno, in the south-west of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It
extracts brown coal and lignite of Miocene age. Preliminary
measurements have shown the high levels of the 238U
(up to 586 Bq/kg) and 226Ra (up to 682 Bq/kg).
During the year 2000, more than 90 % of mine's production
has been used for domestic purposes in broad region of town
Livno (25 000 inhabitants). The coal mine consists of several
strip mines. The highest level of radioactivity has been recorded
in the strip mine of brown coal (“DRAGE”) located
at the base of the mountain Tusnica. Assessed reserves of
the deposit are approximately 331 000 tons with assessed uranium
content of approximately 900 tons.
The coal from that deposit is mainly used in power production
(CBPP Kakanj) and small part of coal production is used in
nearby households. The coals from the other lignite deposits,
which show lower values of dose rate, are used mainly in households
in municipality Livno.
There are a few houses in a radius of 2 kilometres from the
deposit, which use the mentioned coal for heating. A brook
accumulates the water from the deposit and has been used for
irrigation. Water from the other lignite deposits is pumped
in the irrigation system and used for agriculture.
The CBPP Kakanj Coal from coal mine Tusnica is used in coal fired
power plant Kakanj in central part of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Use of the mentioned coal has decreased during the last five
years. The CBPP is located approximately 5 km from the town
Kakanj (45 000 inhabitants). CBPP Kakanj and waste storage
site are placed in the valley of river Bosnia. Assessment
of the environmental, health and radon risk for the population
in Kakanj has not been performed yet.
Parameter
Minimum
(%)
Maximum
(%)
Total humidity
4.00
16.00
Ash
14.05
43.46
Sulphur total
1.80
2.70
Sulphur in ash
0.52
1.04
Volatile
23.51
28.79
Combusted matter
46.03
60.30
Coal Burning Power Plant
Kakanj is situated approximately 5 km from the center of the
town Kakanj. Kakanj Facility as well as the waste storage site
are placed in the valley of river Bosnia.
Main
physical and chemical parameters of coals used in CBPP Kakanj
(for all 8 coals used in facility)
Produced power
Real power
Volume burned material/year
Production of waste/yea
Emission of ash/year
Efficiency of filters
450 MW
410 MW
1,5 million tons
550 000 tons
5 500 tons
99,3%
Production capacity in CBPP Kakanj
Coal
mine
Activity
(Bq/kg)
Consumption
(2003)
U-238
U-235
Th-232
Ra-226
Breza
272174
59.73
1.38
15.49
13.03
Vrtliste
301246
55.64
2.57
31.78
55.04
Haljinici
298682
37.16
1.71
16.91
47.94
Stara jama
314020
30.96
1.43
11.62
25.74
Zenica
143878
42.61
1.96
9.45
33.78
Tusnica
28424
603.53
21.72
16.59
705.55
Bila
53910
26.3
1.21
11.35
25.65
Gracanica
65591
80.26
3.58
2.18
61.59
Yearly consumption of coal (ton) and specific
activities of uranium, radium and thorium in different coals
used in CBPP Kakanj (Bq/kg)
The waste
Waste storage is placed near
the facility and river Bosnia over an area of 19 hectares.
Capacity of the waste storage site is 1 million tons. Approximately
400 000 tons has been used for industrial purposes and 150
000 has been deposed at waste storage site per year. The storage
site has possibility for expansion.
There
are seven villages in the neighbourhood of the waste storage
site at a distance less than 2 km. Approximately 3500 residents
live in these villages.
The main natural factors for dispersion of waste materials
are wind and rainfall. The dominant directions of the wind
are as follows:
- North northwest-south southeast for the winter period
- South southwest-North northeast for the summer period
Rainfalls rinse out the deposed materials and bring them to
river Bosnia directly or indirectly by the brook on the foot
of the waste-hill.
There are three main reservoirs in the area of town Kakanj
that are used for drinking water. These reservoirs are probably
not influenced by wastes of CBPP Kakanj. However, two reservoirs
of technological water (Dragici and Hrasno) in the area of
town Kakanj might be influenced by the wastes.
Measurements
of dose-rate on waste disposal site have shown values up to
0.25 microSv/h as result of the use of coal from coal mine
Tusnica.
Waste material has been used for production of building materials
during the last fourty years. Main building products produced
by waste material from CBPP Kakanj are cement and slag bricks.
Approximately 400 000 tones of waste has been used in building
industries per year. A smaller part of the waste is mainly
used as landfills for the roads during the winter period.
