COAL SUPPLIES WILL CONTINUE, DESPITE LOOMING MINE CLOSURES

One of preservation’s biggest coal suppliers has reassured railways that it will continue supplying them with coal, despite shutting down its last mines in July.

Hargreaves Services plc, which operates Field House and House of Water surface mines in County Durham and East Ayrshire respectively, and also supplies coal to the preservation sector, announced on June 2 that it would “cease all coal mining operations by July 2020.” It comes as Britain went for two full months without burning coal to generate electricity – the country’s longest coal-free period since the 1880s.

Hargreaves Service plc commercial director John Birkett said: “The decision to end coal mining activities comes after years of government policies and taxation designed to kill off the UK coal industry. This came to a head earlier this year with the announcement that domestic house coal is to be phased out by February 2023 [see SR503].

“While it’s the end of an era in terms of Hargreaves coal production, we have acted prudently in the run-up to the mine closures to ensure continuity of supplies to the heritage sector. With stocks set aside at our Killoch facility, and continuing production from our supply partners, we are confident we can reward the loyalty of the heritage sector with UK-mined coal for the foreseeable future.”

Mr Birkett added: “Once the Government has finally closed down indigenous production, we will use our wealth of experience in the international market to source imported coal for the heritage sector using our existing port and transport infrastructure.”

The closure of Field House and House of Water will leave just three surface mines still operating in the UK, after Banks Group’s Shotton mine in Northumberland (SR502) ceased extraction on June 1 and the Welsh Assembly revoked Celtic Energy’s licence to extract coal at its Nant Helen site near Port Talbot on June 11.

Bradley in Durham and Hartington in Derbyshire are scheduled to close by the end of 2020, while Ffos-y-Fran in South Wales is expected to cease production in 2022 at the latest.

A decision on whether Banks can develop its proposed mine at Highthorn in Northumberland is expected imminently.

THOMAS BRIGHT/SR Following the closure of Field House and House of Water surface mines in July, and that of Shotton (pictured) in June, there are just three UK surface coal mines still operating. All are expected to close by 2022.