Development of lignite open pits - challenges and solutions

Before 1990, the problem of spatial development of lignite open pits was solved from the design phase, considering the fact that there were no restrictions related to land expropriation. The need for lignite in the energy sector justified any costs related to expropriation, demolition and environmental restoration. After the appearance of the legislation regarding the right to property on the land, major difficulties arose regarding the expropriation and compensation of the owners, and the lignite exploitation activity in open pits was often blocked either by the refusal of the owners or by the high prices demanded by them. Added to these difficulties are the ever-increasing costs related to environmental protection and the ecological restoration of degraded lands and ecosystems. In these conditions, it is necessary to find some solutions for the advance of the lignite open pits, so that the economic efficiency of the exploitation is maintained within acceptable limits. The paper presents such a situation and the solutions for the advancement of the open pit, in order to continue the supply of lignite to the thermal power plant it serves.