Formation conditions and application potential of Miocene lignite from China and Serbia – integral geological and geochemical study

Project is funded by:

• Ministarstvo prosvete, nauke i tehnološkog razvoja (Belgrade, Serbia)
• Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China (Peking, China)

Instituions where the research is conducted:

• University of Belgrade - Faculty of Chemistry (Belgrade, Serbia) – Coordination
• Hebei University of Engineering, School of Earth Science and Engineering (Handan, Hebei Province, China) – Coordination

Project realization is scheduled from August 1, 2024 till July 31, 2026.

Project staff

Short description of the project

The main focus of the Project is establishment of sources of organic matter (OM), formation conditions and quality of middle-late Miocene lignite in China and Serbia. The representative basins include the late Miocene Xianfeng, Kebao and Puyang basins in China, and two important basins in Serbia, Despotovac (middle Miocene) and Kostolac (late Miocene). The comprehensive multidisciplinary research applies up-to date geological and geochemical methods: organic petrography, investigation of molecular composition of lignite OM, stable carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen isotopic compositions, analysis of mineral part of lignite, including major, trace and rare earth elements. The obtained data should provide more insights into the sources of lignite OM and into palaeoenvironmental conditions (e.g. redox settings, climate, post-depositional events) within different Miocene basins. The Project results will indicate possibility of more efficient and environmentally friendly lignite utilization (fluidized bed gasification, briquetting and application of lignite as raw material for obtaining rare earth elements). In addition, the Project results enable to detect lignite layers that are the most favourable for utilization in Thermal Power Plants (TPPs). This is of great importance considering proximity of Kostolac TPP to Kostolac (same location) and Despotovac basins, as well as plans for modernization and enlarging capacities of this TPP (new Block B3).