The transition of the coal mining industry to work in a market environment has extremely exacerbated the problem of ensuring the competitiveness of coal mining enterprises. Among the characteristic features of coal mines functioning in modern conditions are: the instability of coal sales volumes, associated with sharp changes in market conditions, and the instability of fuselage flow from the mine. In modern conditions the role of "intermediary" between a mine and a consumer can be performed by a warehouse, which allows a mine to adapt more easily to fluctuations in demand for coal products. Warehouses are designed for accumulation and relatively long-term (within several months) storage of raw or enriched coal as well as coal briquettes. Warehouses provide independence of operation of coal enrichment and briquette plants or their technological departments from disturbances of external or intrafactory bunkers, as well as satisfaction of market demand regardless of the capacity of the enrichment plant and the cargo flow from the mine. An important parameter determining the amount of capital investment is the storage capacity. Determination of the optimal capacity of the warehouse, taking into account the factor "Dynamics of sales volume" is one of the most important practical problems, the correct solution of which largely depends on the efficiency of the coal-mining enterprise in market conditions.
