One of the last commercial coal mines in England is set to close in County Durham, marking the end of an era after the final coal extraction. Banks Mining expects up to a dozen jobs to be lost at its Bradley surface mine – which was opened in 2018 to extract 500,000 tonnes of coal – after plans for a small extension were rejected. Banks Mining cites official figures that suggest around eight million tonnes of coal were used in the UK in 2019, with more than 80% of it being imported and around two-thirds of it utilised for purposes other than electricity generation.
Managing Director Gavin Styles said: “We have a highly skilled and dedicated workforce at our Bradley site, the great majority of whom live in surrounding communities and they have done an exceptional job over the last two and a half years. “While British industry still needs coal, it is patently obvious that it is better for our climate and for our jobs to mine it here in the UK, rather than exporting our jobs and increasing global greenhouse gas emissions by relying even more on importing coal over thousands of miles from Russia, the USA and Colombia.”
A planning application for Banks’ proposed Dewley Hill surface mine to the west of Newcastle is also set to be considered by Newcastle City Council in the coming months. This scheme would see around 800,000 tonnes of coal extracted from the site, most of which will be used for industrial purposes such as the production of steel and cement, as well as 400,000 tonnes of fireclay, which will be used in the manufacturing of bricks at the local brickworks.
Source: Energy Market Price
Global site 
Finnish site