One of England’s last coal mines is set to close today after almost 200 years in operation.
The Bradley open-cast mine in Durham, which produced 150,000 tonnes of coal each year, is set to extract its last coal today and close its doors permanently.
Owners Banks Group had applied for permission to keep the the coal mine open until 2021, but the application was denied earlier this summer.
The Bradley open-cast mine in Durham is extracting its last coal today (pictured) and closing its doors after almost 200 years in operation
The demand for coal is now mainly satisfied by imports coming in from Russia and the US.
This comes after its sister site at Shotton in Northumberland ended its coal production just two months ago.
The closure leaves only the Hartington mine in Derbyshire open, after it was planned to shut at the beginning of the month.
It is the last surface mine operating in England and continues to run down its remaining coal reserves, the Guardian reported.
A spokesman for the Department of Business Energy and Industrial Strategy said there is no revised date for the Hartington shutdown ‘immediately available’.
Britain’s last deep coal mine, the Kellingley colliery in North Yorkshire, closed in 2015.
Now in England, only small underground mines in Cumbria and the Forest of Dean still produce small amounts of coal.
Some small mines also continue to operate in Wales and Scotland, but The Ffos-y-fran Land Reclamation Scheme in Merthyr Tydfil will be the last to close in October 2022.
Owners Banks Group had applied for permission to keep the the coal mine open until 2021, but the application was denied earlier this summer. Pictured, a pile of coal is ready for loading on to lorries on the final day of operations today
The Bradley mine (above) closure comes after its sister site at Shotton in Northumberland ended its coal production just two months ago
Hargreaves Services, who began working in the mining industry around 150 years ago, told investors a few months ago that it plans to wind down its Scottish mines as it was ‘clear coal has a limited future’.
In 2015, Banks Group submitted plans to develop Britain’s largest coal mine in Highthorn, which has received heavy opposition from environmentalists.
Ministers were set to deliver a verdict on the controversial project in April, but are yet to voice their decision on the plans.
The proposal was initially rejected by Rishi Sunak two years ago, but Banks Group won an appeal to have it reconsidered are are awaiting Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Robert Jenrick’s decision.
If the mine is approved, the pit could produce three million tonnes of coal and create 50 jobs.
The Government previously faced criticism for approving the UK’s first new deep coal mine in 30 years – the same week the Treasury launched a review into how the UK can end its contribution to global heating.
As the UK sets ambitious climate targets, the demand for coal has steadily fallen over the past few years, with coal-fired power making up just two per cent of the UK’s electricity generation last year.
This is the lowest since the electricity system was established back in 1882.
The Bradley closure leaves the Hartington mine in Derbyshire as the last surface mine in England, as it remains open until running down its remaining coal reserves
But miners are hoping to change their trade and provide coal to UK steelworks, which rely on coal imports, as concerns rise about loss of jobs with the mine closures.
Alan Mayman, who has been a miner for over 25 years, says he faces an uncertain future.
‘I’m devastated, absolutely devastated that it’s coming to a close,’ he told Sky News.
‘The county council and the government have done nothing to support us, so this’ll be the last coal mine that I’ll probably ever work on. Then that’s it.’
Speaking of the Bradley closure on Twitter, The Green Party said: ‘This is great news, but we can’t abandon those whose livelihoods depend on it.
‘We need a just transition to green jobs for every person employed in the coal industry.’
Britain has made a commitment to bring an end to unabated coal production by 2025.