Giant Lake to Form in Central Poland from Former Mine

A colossal artificial lake is set to be created in central Poland, repurposing the existing Bełchatów open-pit mine into a significant water complex. The ambitious project, spearheaded by PGE Górnictwo i Energetyka Konwencjonalna, aims to transform the former mining site into a hub for recreation and tourism.

The plan involves converting two current mining sites, Bełchatów Field and Szczerców Field. The Bełchatów Field is slated to cease operations this year, making way for the first lake. Operations at Szczerców Field are expected to continue until 2036, after which it will also be transformed. Future plans may include connecting the two lakes into a single, expansive body of water.

Initial work on reshaping the Bełchatów Field into a lake began years ago, with shoreline formation and preparation for a future beach completed by late 2020. The planned lake is expected to reach a depth of 170 meters. Various concepts for the recreational complex have been proposed, including beaches, yacht marinas, and even a submerged excavator to serve as an attraction for divers.

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The recultivation is being carried out on an ongoing basis, currently work is underway to form the lowest level: +5 m above sea level. To achieve the designed geometry of the final excavation in the Bełchatów Field, it is planned to deposit approximately 220 million cubic meters of overburden

The current phase involves excavating the Bełchatów pit to prepare it for transformation into a lake. Over the coming years, efforts will focus on softening, reinforcing, and securing the pit's slopes. Subsequently, the area will be filled with water. According to PGE GiEK's press office, approximately 220 million cubic meters of overburden will be deposited to achieve the final geometry of the Bełchatów Field.

The process of filling the former mine with water is projected to take around 17 to 19 years, commencing only after the final excavation stages are complete. This extensive timeline underscores the scale and complexity of converting a massive industrial mining operation into a natural-looking recreational lake.

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According to the design assumptions, the process of filling with water will begin immediately after the completion of the final excavation stage. The time allocated for filling the excavations with water has been specified in the documentation at approximately 17 - 19 years