Methane explosions hazards are incessantly connected with hard coal, lignite and salt mining almost from the beginning of their exploitation. Despite of technological development, in the last century methane is still the main reason of the explosions and catastrophes in the underground coal mines all over the world. One of the effective methods fighting with this hazard is underground drainage of the rock mass. Apart from providing safety work conditions, this technology enables to capture significant amount of methane mixed with the air. Such a gas, with proper methane concentration can be effectively used for energy production. It must be emphasized however, that the main purpose of the drainage is to create safe conditions for the exploitation of coal highly saturated with methane and enabling to utilize highly efficient coal extraction technologies in the longwalls located in the deposits with the highest methane hazard category - i.e. 4th methane hazard category. In many cases the ventilation system is not capable to decrease methane content in the ventilation air down to the safety value specified by the regulations. Recovered CMM can be also recognized as a source of revenue, which can decrease cost of exploitation the coal. Its utilization in the cogeneration process can produce electricity to cover own demands of the coal mine, decreasing at the same time its purchase from the grid. Thermal energy produced in the process can be used to heat the buildings and to dry the fine coal in the coal washing plants. Considering the fact, that in Polish hard coal mines only about 30% of methane released during mining operations is being captured by the drainage systems and its remaining part is vented to the atmosphere via the ventilation shafts - there is enormous potential to be utilized. Despite of low concentration of methane in the ventilation air there are already in the world technologies, which are capable to capture and utilize methane from the ventilation air of the shafts (VAM) on the industrial scale. A few technical details could be still improved but already operating installations in the coal mines prove effective utilization of methane contained in the ventilation air of the shafts for the purposes of production electrical energy and heat.