KING COAL - BEYOND THE CORONAVIRUS
IT HAS been widely reported elsewhere that the Heritage Railway Association (HRA) is actively looking at the situation surrounding the future supply of coal to our preserved railways, and despite the ongoing coronavirus situation, the organisation is heavily immersed in trying to secure supplies long-term.
In February, the Government responded to the August 2018 consultation on the burning of domestic fuels in England (including bituminous coal).
Writing in the HRA's house magazine, chief executive
Steve Oates said:'While the Government statement on burning domestic fuels in England does not prevent heritage fuel users from burning coal, it does present our industry with significant future supply problems'.
The Banks Group's mine at Shotton in Northumberland was the last remaining site in England producing washed bituminous lump coal for heritage users, but that ceased extraction at the end of May.
Thanks to the coronavirus the remaining stocks will last into next year, but unless new permissions are granted, that will be the end of steam coal mining in England.
The HRA has actively supported the Banks Group's bid to open new mines at Highthorn, Northumberland, and Dewley Hill, near Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
If given the go ahead Highthorn would be the UK's largest mine, producing around three million tonnes a year over the next three to five years.
The HRA has written to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) urging approval of the Highthorn application, which was supported by a number of letters from HRA member railways to the MHCLG.
The Welsh government is expected to undertake a consultation on the burning of domestic fuels, including bituminous coal, in the near future. In the meantime Fros-y-Fran, near Merthyr Tydfil, remains the last mine in Wales, but that is scheduled to cease production in September 2022.
Unless the Banks Group applications are successful, the UK's preserved railways will have no other option but to import coal from overseas. However, doing it is not straight forward or easy, and in his writeup Mr Oates said:'lmporting consistent and suitable supplies of screened, sized and washed lump coal from Russia, Poland, the US, Columbia and elsewhere around the world is difficult both technically and commercially. It requires knowledge, expertise and substantial cash flow reserves. It will almost certainly increase costs to heritage railways'.
The major concern in all this is how much this could impact some of the smaller railways that do not use large quantities of coal, and cannot perhaps absorb the additional expenses that their larger brethren may. This is especially relevant now after the impact of Covid-19, which has already threatened the survival of some railways. As Steve Oates told The RM:"The lack of secure and affordable coal might be one threat too many for some. The reality is that heritage railways will carry on after Covid-19, but we cannot come out of this crisis then still have to fight for coal.
"Unfortunately, there are many people - from Government ministers to some of our own heritage railways - who haven't yet grasped the depths of the issue'.'