A new modern coal industry...

[Hagar]

The government may give the green light for a new coal mine to be sunk in Cumbria extending out under the Sea. There is considerable local support for new jobs and the coal, metallurgical coal used to produce steel is 40% imported from Russia a situation unlikely to continue.
The decision is expected within 14 days following a report into the proposal. There may be opposition elsewhere in the country though.

Johnson hints that new coal mine for Cumbria will get go-ahead

The government faces a huge decision over what to do in Cumbria, amid employment and climate concerns.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Hagar]

Unbelievable. I work closely with a very large coal mining company and they have effectively been shut down because the government told them no more coal under any circumstances. Can see them launching legal action based on this.

I assume open cast mining? A different kettle of fish.

 

[Hagar]

How so?

Well is it?

 

[Hagar]

You're the one who said its different, how is that?

Depending on the site and the depth of the seams, opencast coal recovery is noisier, dirtier and requires hundreds of HGV movements weekly over a long period. The sites also tend to be much larger at ground level. This field is also largely under the Irish Sea.
What little I do know of the cumbria coal measures, they will likely be in limestone and strong marl, mudstones etc.which would not be easily excavated except by deep mining techniques. The mine will be at a railhead to carry the coal to nearby ports, Workington etc., and shipped to the end user or direct by existing rail lines.

It is unlikely that a opencast proposer who was turned down can sue. Thus is a specific coal type at a location likely to be granted planning approval. Two obvious factors maybe not found elsewhere.

There is a lot of hysteria already , OMG Thatcher, secret plots, slavery, national service, kids up chimneys.

We are rejoining the USA, Russia, China, Australia, Germany, Poland etc. etc., in excavating coal. Not reinventing anything.

 

[Hagar]

The coal seams extend out under the north sea.
Unless opencast mining has become more waterproof than i remember its not gonna be anything but remote operated diggers.
Brits should be glad there's coal to be had in abundance.
Green principles are gonna be sent up in smoke, pardon the pun, until Russia is best Friend again in 20 years.

Irish Sea but yes.

 

[Hagar]

The coal fields up here are in rural areas where noise, dirt and light (you missed that one) don't tend to cause issues...heck they allowed a massive opencast right next to one of the major population centres (Cramlington). Transport links via sea and rail are readily available. They were specifically told that the move was away from coal. Not opencast mining.

I know Cramlington. Yes 24h working at surface will slso cause light pollution.

I agree that the focus has been anti coal due to pressure from certain groups. The political situation has been changed, not only with the great bear in the east but also with communities levelling up for jobs and the need for steelmaking, maybe in the aforementioned neck of the woods up in the north east. Is Redcar still producing?

Who knows if this will end with just one location. I hope that investment also covers cleaner coal technology and avoiding the mistakes of the past industry.