Application of a Static System Weather Modification Technology for Rainfall Reduction in Coal Mining Areas

Abstract

Excessive rainfall poses a major challenge to coal mining operations by reducing operational time, limiting access to working areas, and disrupting the performance of heavy equipment. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a static Weather Modification Technology system using Ground Particle Generators (GPGs) in reducing rainfall intensity and duration. We tested the system in PT Borneo Indobara coal mining concession, South Kalimantan, Indonesia. Eight GPG units were deployed across the mining area from October 2021 to April 2022 during a La Niña period. Rainfall observations from Automatic Weather Stations (AWS), manual rain gauges, and satellite-based products were analyzed using both Target-Only and Target-Control approaches to assess the effectiveness of the intervention. Results showed that implementing GPG reduced rainfall intensity and rainfall duration by 51% and 77%, respectively, across the target mining areas. The reduction in rainfall substantially decreased weather-related operational disruptions. It contributed to an increase of 18.74 million tons in combined coal and overburden production between January and April 2022 compared to the same period in 2021. The findings demonstrate the potential of static GPG-based weather modification as an effective, cost-efficient approach to mitigating rainfall impacts in mining operations. The study provides scientific evidence for the broader application of weather modification technology to enhance operational resilience and productivity in weather-sensitive industries.