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Coal facts, figures, and information

The UK coal flow from origin to destination

The most recent official energy statistics for coal from the UK Government are for 2022 (compare with 2021). Over the past decade, UK coal production has fallen by 94% and demand fell by 14% in 2022 compared to 2021. In 2022, imports accounted for 85% of UK's coal (63% in 2021). The UK Government banned Russian coal imports in August 2022. Read more about coal imports.

Coal mining

The Global Energy Monitor estimates 7.2 billion tonnes of coal are mined each year, from 3,670 recorded coal mines across 70 countries. Coal mining worldwide emits around 52 million tonnes of methane per year (equivalent to 4,320 million tonnes of CO2*), more than oil (39 million tonnes) or gas (45 million tonnes)....

Burning coal emits more CO2 than any other fuel source for the amount of energy it produces. Burning coal also pollutes our air with many other hazardous gasses, including nitrogen oxide, mercury, and sulphur dioxide – with global and local consequences for climate change...

COAL NEWS

Lochinvar proposal – a licence to harm

New Age Exploration Ltd propose to extract up to 33.7 million tonnes of coking coal for steelworks in the UK and beyond between 2025 and 2051 near Carlisle, in South West Scotland. This may worsen local air quality, reduce the value of nearby residential properties, make local roads more dangerous with HGV traffic, and will emit around 73 million…

Key facts: Aberpergwm coal mine expansion

42 million tonnes during the life of the extension + 30 million tonnes of “middling” coal to be dumped or put back into the coal mine.
Around 100 million tonnes of CO2 and up to 1.17 million tonnes of methane could be emitted during…

Coal round up February 2022

Update on coal extraction and use in the UK. The situation with coal production and use in the UK is changing. There are no new opencast mines proposed; only one proposed opencast coal extension and one existing opencast extraction site…

CAN instructs Barristers to take Welsh Government and the Coal Authority to task over Aberpergwm colliery extension.

Our Barrister’s pre-action letter convincingly puts the power to stop the Aberpergwm colliery extension licence firmly in the hands of Welsh Government Ministers. Now it is up to those Ministers to take their rhetoric and put it into swift, decisive action…

Licenced: the Aberpergwm coal mine extension

On 25th January 2022, whilst the Welsh and UK Governments continued to argue over which could stop it, The Coal Authority approved the full licence for an underground coal mine extension to Energybuild Ltd. The company can now mine a further 40 MILLION TONNES of coal until 2039…

An open letter to stop the Aberpergwm coal extension

Combined, both of you have received nearly 4000 emails from people who are dismayed by the news that the deep coal mine operated by EnergyBuild Ltd in Aberpergwm may imminently have the licence to extend it deconditionalised by The Coal Authority regulator…

Aberpergwm coal extension

Energy Build ltd are on the cusp of getting their Aberpergwm coal mine extension licence. The licence could be obtained any day, and work begin shortly thereafter. Coal is our collective heritage, but it cannot be our future…

52 people tragically killed in mining explosion in Kuzbass region of Russia

We are deeply saddened to hear that yesterday (25th November 2021) a suspected methane explosion killed 52 people, including 6 rescuers, at the Listvyazhnaya coal mine. The underground mine lies close to the town of Gramoteino, in the heavily mined Kuzbass coal field.

Johnson’s first comment on proposed Cumbrian coal mine

On the first day of the Conference of Parties Climate summit (COP26) in Glasgow Boris Johnson for the first time has said that he is not in favour of a new coal mine in the UK. Tommy Greene explains what happened in an article on Left Foot Forward.

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