graphics presenting part of map of PolandThe „Quo Vadis Sal” XXVI International Salt Symposium was held on 21-25 September 2022 in the main building of the AGH University of Science and Technology and the Qubus Hotel in Kraków. The organiser of the meeting was the Polish Salt Mining Association, which at the same time celebrated the 30th anniversary of its foundation and activities. Eight delegates from PGI-PIB took part in the symposium.

For the twenty-sixth time, the Polish Salt Mining Association (PSMA) has organised a conference on Polish and global salt problems in the field of geology, mining, salt industry and related disciplines. The meetings are organised every year and are very popular among representatives of the entire salt industry, not only from Poland but also from abroad. This year the symposium hosted participants from Ukraine, Switzerland, Canada and Australia.

 

In view of the changing geopolitical situation and a new European climatic policy, the following key topic of Symposium was: Salt Industry in the Light of the New Geopolitical and Climatic Challenges. Symposium topics:

  • Salt and energy security: cavern storage facilities for hydrocarbons: present condition and plans for future development.
  • Green energy: storage facilities in salt caverns as accumulators of energy (hydrogen and air).
  • Salt and nuclear energy: safe storage of waste – reality and planning.
  • Potassium-magnesium salts: national and global resources, with new directions of importation.
  • Classical and modern salt-deposit research methods.
  • Geological, mining, and environmental hazards accompanying salt extraction.
  • Salt business management in Poland and abroad: production, distribution, import, and export.
  • Underground salt mines as testimonies of salt mining traditions in Poland and abroad.

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Paper session

 Delegates from the Polish Geological Institute -NRI presented a series of very interesting lectures (or co-authored them), related to the current salt works carried out at the Institute:

  • Grzegorz Czapowski – „Selection of sites for underground storage facilities, within the salt deposits in Poland: previous and new proposals”
  • Marta Hodbod, Karol Zglinicki – „New supply directions of potassium and magnesium salts to Poland”
  • Krzysztof Bukowski, Hubert Kiersnowski – „Examples of recent diapirism related to the eocambrian Ara salt formation in Oman – site recommended for future study by the Polish Salt Mining Association”
  • Michał Słotwiński, Marta Adamuszek – „Role of rock salt grainsize in cavern convergence”
  • Marta Adamuszek, Marcin Dabrowski – „Sinking anhydrite”

The poster entitled „Litostratigraphy and facies – selected problems of 3D modeling: the case of project: Geological modeling of sedimentary baśni in Poland – phase II Gorzów Block” by Łukasz Nowacki, Jacek Chełmiński, Ewa Szynkaruk and Grzegorz Czapowski was presented during the poster session.

Post-conference materials and articles published in the journal Salt Review will soon be available on the website of the Polish Salt Mining Association at: www.psgs.agh.edu.pl.

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Grzegorz Czapowski during the presentation of his paper

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Marta Hodbod during the presentation of her paper

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Marta Adamuszek during the presentation of her paper

 

The conference was accompanied by a celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Polish Salt Mining Association. The Association was founded in December 1992 as a non-governmental "non-profit" expert organisation bringing together scientific and technical staff from salt mines, universities, institutes, research and development centres working for the Polish salt industry. Over the 30 years of its work, it has greatly contributed to the Polish salt mining industry.

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Participants in the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the PSMA in the main building of the AGH University of Science and Technology

 

The jubilee ceremony was held in the main building of the AGH University of Science and Technology, where the guests were welcomed by the President of the PSGS, Jacek Wachowiak, PhD, and the Vice-Rector of AGH, Professor Rafał Dańko, PhD. After the speeches, awards and decorations were presented.

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Speech by the President of the PSGS, Jacek Wachowiak, PhD

Among those honoured was a long-serving employee of PGI-NRI. The Board of the PSMA presented the decoration „Honorowy Kordzik Górniczy” to PGI-NRI Professor Grzegorz Czapowski, for his enormous contribution to the work and development of the Association and for several decades of invaluable work for the salt industry. Congratulations!

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Honoured with the „Kordzik Górniczy” PGI-NRI Professor Grzegorz Czapowski (first on the right)

„Kordzik Górniczy”
Is a small white weapon with a short, straight and double-edged blade. Its shape is reminiscent of the dagger used during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and it derives from the so-called misericorde or ancient puginal. After losing their original function, became a parade weapon used by officers of the Navy and Air Force. They are also used as a parade weapon in the mining industry, where they serve as an award given to engineering and technical personnel for, among other things, achievements obtained during work. „Kordzik Górniczy” can only be worn with the gala uniform and is clipped to the belt on the left hip.

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„Kordzik Górniczy”

Photos: Jerzy Przybyło, Kazimierz Urbańczyk, Grzegorz Czapowski