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UK's plans for first coal mine in 30 years spark outrage

Published 08/12/2022, 14:04
Updated 08/12/2022, 14:43
UK's plans for first coal mine in 30 years spark outrage

UK's plans for first coal mine in 30 years spark outrage

Proactive Investors - The UK will build its first new coal mine for three decades at Whitehaven in Cumbria, despite objections locally, across the UK and from around the world.

Green MP Caroline Lucas called the decision “a climate crime against humanity” while shadow climate change secretary, Ed Miliband, said the mine was “no solution to the energy crisis”, would not benefit British steel producers and marked “the death knell of any claims this government has to climate leadership”.

Michael Gove, the levelling up secretary, gave the go ahead for the project on Wednesday, paving the way for an estimated investment of £165mln that will create about 500 new jobs in the region and produce 2.8mln tonnes of coking coal a year, largely for steelmaking.

The mine will also produce an estimated 400,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions a year, increasing the UK’s emissions by the equivalent of putting 200,000 cars on the road.

The vast majority of the coal produced will be for export, as most UK steel producers have rejected the use of the coal, which is high in sulphur and surplus to their needs.

Where these exports will go is uncertain, as most European steelmakers are turning away from the use of coal and adopting green methods such as electric arc furnaces and renewable energy.

The government said the mine was possible within the UK’s climate legislation, which requires the UK to reach net zero emissions by 2050, as operations will shut down by 2049.

Read more on Proactive Investors UK

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Latest comments

How about climate change ? F.. double standarts
The hypocrite of Western world. UK criticized China for its usage of coal last year in COP26.
China uses coal for everything though because they're still a developing country whereas the UK is an advanced country.
🤣🤣🤣🤣😹😹😹😹😂😂😂😂😂freaks! Clean energy 🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂
Yes we need to be self sufficient.
if you read it properly instead of just the headline it says the vast majority of the coal being produced will be exported
And don't you need steel to build wind turbines?
Yes new coal for industry
Sparks outrage amongst the people that glue themselves to roads on a Monday morning to stop people who actually have a job and purpose in society getting to work and taking their kids to school
Don’t you need coal to make steel?
sparks outrage with who?? the millionaires making more millions invested in pathetic attempts at renewables?? if we need drastic measures while those in charge realise we need nuclear energy then crack on. relying on other countries has simply shown us we get *******importing foreign energy.
if the coal is useful to uk industry and other remaining use than will be more invitomentally friendly than importing. unfortunately our steal industry despite a strategic asset is mostly foreign owned by our competitors and enemies so again no unified front there
About time we had some investment in these areas . The greens stopped nuclear , remember.
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