Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove has approved Britain’s first deep coal mine in more than 30 years after conceding that new green technologies are unlikely to replace the fossil fuel’s role in steel-making for many years.
Mr Gove has backed plans for a £165 million coal mine at the Woodhouse Colliery, near Whitehaven in Cumbria which will produce coal for steelmaking in the UK and for export to Europe.
The government has stressed that the coal taken from the mine will be used for the production of steel, rather than coal used to generate electricity, which the UK has largely weaned itself off of.
The coal mine is expected to employ about 500 workers.
A Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities spokesman said:
“The Secretary of State has agreed to grant planning permission for a new metallurgical coal mine in Cumbria as recommended by the independent planning inspector.
“This coal will be used for the production of steel and would otherwise need to be imported. It will not be used for power generation.
“The mine seeks to be net zero in its operations and is expected to contribute to local employment and the wider economy.”
The decision on the mine was originally approved by Cumbria County Council in October 2020 but was then called in by the government amid environmental concerns.
Campaigners have said that the new mine will increase global emissions and send the wrong message about Britain’s climate ambitions.
Once a major producer of coal that powered the Industrial Revolution, the UK’s coal output peaked in the early 20th century, and dropped more than 90 percent in the last decade.
However, supporters are quick to say that the environmental cost will be offset against foreign fuels which are currently being shipped in to the country with a high carbon footprint.
Chair of Britpac UK, Henry Bolton OBE said:
“The Conservatives open one new coal mine to help stabilise and secure the UK’s energy supply, and Labour screams blue murder. Some years ago, Labour was incandescent with rage when the Conservatives were closing coal mines.”
The coal mine, the size of roughly 60 football pitches, will take two years to complete fully and will have the capacity to be operational for about 50 years.
It will supply steelmakers in Britain and western Europe and will reach peak production after about five years, with more than 80% of the workers expected to work underground in coal production.
Supporters, including local Conservative members of Parliament, have said the mine will create well-paying jobs and help lead a revival in the area, which has fared relatively poorly in recent decades as coal mines and other industrial facilities have closed.
The UK once employed 1.2 million people at nearly 3,000 collieries. Britain’s last deep-pit mine closed in 2015.
