Publications

Survey of Energy Resources 2007

Coal Country Notes

Coal deposits are widely distributed and for many years the UK was one of the world's largest coal producers, and by far its largest exporter. Production rose to a peak of nearly 300 million tonnes/yr during World War I and thereafter did not fall below 200 million tonnes/yr until 1960. Output began a long-term decline in the mid-1960s, falling to less than 100 million tonnes/yr by 1990. Reflecting continued competition from natural gas and imported coal, UK coal production sank to just over 20 million tonnes in 2005, including coal/slurry recovered from non-mine sources such as dumps, ponds, rivers, etc.

The UK coal industry was privatised at the end of 1994, with the principal purchaser being RJB Mining (now UK Coal plc), which acquired 16 deep mines from British Coal. At 31 March 2006 there were 7 major deep mines, 5 smaller deep mines and 35 open-cast sites in production. Deep-mined coal output in 2005 was 9.56 million tonnes and open-cast sites produced 10.45 million tonnes - the first year that the output from UK deep mines had fallen below that of open-cast sites. Production from slurry etc. amounted to 0.49 million tonnes. There is now virtually no UK production of coking coal - output in 2005 was only 274 000 tonnes.

The decline of the British coal industry has been accompanied by a sharp decrease in economically recoverable reserves. The figure reported by the United Kingdom WEC Member Committee for the purpose of the present Survey is 155 million tonnes, reflecting the 2006 level (comprising 110 in deep mines and 45 in surface mines), quoted in Chapter 4 of The Energy Challenge: Energy Review Report 2006, published by the UK Department of Trade and Industry in July 2006. The DTI figures are described as 'estimates of deep and surface mine reserves identified in reviews commissioned by DTI in 1998-2004 adjusted to reflect subsequent mine closures and production and the uprating of newly proved reserves at ongoing mines'. The report goes on to say that 'in addition to this, there is thought to be in the order of 400 million tonnes of recoverable coal at other prospects, most of which would require either new mine developments or significant investment at existing or former mines'.

The coal resources of the UK are, of course, considerably larger than the comparatively modest levels of recoverable reserves quoted for existing deep mines and opencast sites. The Coal Authority, the body responsible for directing the British coal industry, has indicated that in 2005 coal resources at existing deep mines and existing, planned and known potential surface-mining sites were in the order of 900 million tonnes, with approximately one-third in deep mines and two-thirds at surface-mining sites. Additional recoverable tonnages considered to be potentially available from new or expanded deep-mining operations amounted to almost 1.4 billion tonnes.

The Government White Paper, Meeting the Energy Challenge (May 2007) states that, 'Making the best use of UK energy resources, including coal reserves, where it is economically viable and environmentally acceptable to do so contributes to our security of supply goals. The Government believes that these factors reflect a value in maintaining access to economically recoverable reserves of coal'.