A novel economic benefit calculation modeling applying to coal mining

Coal is one of the primary energy sources in China. Due to different mining processes, the environmental impact of each mining method varies. Traditional mining methods have relatively low costs but a substantial ecological impact. For example, backfilling mining is environmentally friendly but raises mining costs for surface settlement, coal gangue solid waste pollution, etc. Therefore, to meet the current sustainable development concept, based on the principles of coal mining, a novel economic benefit calculation modeling applied to coal mining is presented to analyze the economy’s differential benefits under different mining methods and their impact on the environment. First, a model was established to investigate the economic benefits of coal mining. Secondly, the differential benefits under three mining methods, collapse mining, cemented backfill mining and material-improved cemented backfill mining were calculated for a mining site in China as an example. Finally, four crucial factors affecting coal mine efficiency were identified using hierarchical analysis, the intersection of the differential benefits of the three mining methods under the four essential factors was derived, and the degree of influence of the vital factors on the economic efficiency of coal mines was analyzed using the univariate method. The differential benefits of the material-improved cemented backfill mining method are more prominent than the other two mining methods, with an overall economic increase of about 8%. Coal reserves, the national coal tax reduction rate and the differential benefits of coal mines show a significant positive relationship. The model applies to all types of coal mines and can be used to select low-consumption, low-cost and high-yield mining methods according to the actual situation of coal mines and local policies, guiding the formulation of government policies and the selection of mining methods for coal mining enterprises, which is of great significance to the sustainable development of the environment and the rational exploitation of energy.