A rich new seam

Can coal still have a future?

THE PLAN to open a new coal drift mine near Wakefield represents the best and worst of energy policy in this country.

The best because the planned New Crofton Coop Colliery shows that coal is still a viable proposition – and that there are people committed to keeping the last embers of this industry alive. The worst because these plans are being advanced in spite of the Government’s reluctance to acknowledge the importance of coal at a time of global uncertainty – the Middle East is, once again, in crisis, and it would not be inconceivable for Russia’s megalomaniac president Vladimir Putin to hold the world to ransom over the supply of oil and gas.

This is not to say that coal is the panacea as production comes to an end at Kellingley. Far from it. The reality is that its future contribution to Britain’s energy mix is likely to be limited.

Nevertheless, Britain needs to harness a wide range of sources of power, including coal. After all, it is abundantly clear that the wind turbines so favoured by David Cameron when he went through his ‘hug a husky’ political phase when the Tories were going to be green rather than blue do not offer sufficient output.

Yet the commitment and determination being shown by those behind the New Crofton venture should also serve as a wake-up call to Ministers about the need to speed up the implementation of carbon capture at Drax so Yorkshire’s traditional industries, including coal, have the maximum chance of meeting new criteria on the environment while also lessening Britain’s reliance on other countries if the lights are to be kept burning in the future.