For Sale - Britains deep coal-mines?
Discussion
With all the fuss and bother following 'consultation' regarding our forests, could we/should our Government sell off our coal-mines. If they are to expensive for us to re-open perhaps the Chinese would like to bid for them? Billions of tons of coal awaits extraction and would offer much needed jobs.
Hmmm, Deep coal mines.
Lets think about that shall we?
Many of them are flooded with either dangerous gasses or water. Much damage was done during the miners strike when some of the most viable deep mines were irretreivably lost as essential maintenance was prevented by pickets thereby rendering them impossible to re-open.
Secondly, deep coal mining is somewhat dangerous. I don't imagine Elf N Safety bods would allow it! Can you imagine how thick the risk assessment report would be?
Lastly... burning coal.. Not a very "green" activity. Not sure the environmentalists would approve. Just go to China if you want to be reminded of the effects on air quality, flora and fauna that large scale coal fired power production creates.
And what else would you use the coal for if not for making electricity? And even if you could burn it a bit more cleanly for electricity, deep mine coal is far more expensive to produce than coal produced elsewhere in the world. Do you want to be the one telling pensioners that the reason why they cannot afford their leccy bill is cos we are deliberately using a very expensive resource for political reasons rather than sourcing the cheapest/most viable alternate? Or perhaps you could tell your grand kids that the reason why the pigeons are coughing and the country side is black instead of green is cos we've gone
back to widescale burning of coal. The era of coal is long gone. Lets leave it that way
Lets think about that shall we?
Many of them are flooded with either dangerous gasses or water. Much damage was done during the miners strike when some of the most viable deep mines were irretreivably lost as essential maintenance was prevented by pickets thereby rendering them impossible to re-open.
Secondly, deep coal mining is somewhat dangerous. I don't imagine Elf N Safety bods would allow it! Can you imagine how thick the risk assessment report would be?
Lastly... burning coal.. Not a very "green" activity. Not sure the environmentalists would approve. Just go to China if you want to be reminded of the effects on air quality, flora and fauna that large scale coal fired power production creates.
And what else would you use the coal for if not for making electricity? And even if you could burn it a bit more cleanly for electricity, deep mine coal is far more expensive to produce than coal produced elsewhere in the world. Do you want to be the one telling pensioners that the reason why they cannot afford their leccy bill is cos we are deliberately using a very expensive resource for political reasons rather than sourcing the cheapest/most viable alternate? Or perhaps you could tell your grand kids that the reason why the pigeons are coughing and the country side is black instead of green is cos we've gone
back to widescale burning of coal. The era of coal is long gone. Lets leave it that way
Of course it isn't impossible to reopen them. It is just a matter of cost. The way energy policy is going at the moment, there will be a point in the future where that cost will be justified. We'll soon see how many people are bothered about CO2 emissions when they only have electricity for 2 hours a day, as the windmills can't provide enough, and no one had the guts to build nuclear power stations.
V88Dicky said:
COAL! You can't use coal!
Actually coal is going through something of a renaissance right now thanks to higher efficiency furnaces, improved exhaust-scrubbing systems and other technological advances.V88Dicky said:
It's reliable,
When the wind's blowing.V88Dicky said:
cheap
Cheaper to buy them in from Denmark than to make them here.V88Dicky said:
and doesn't cause global warming.
Except for the global warming caused by the mining of their raw materials, manufacture, transportation, assembly, installation and maintenance!I thought that they were sold as a job lot to RB mining after the miners strike was over. As to the comment about damage done by the pickets, this is not true. As part of the agreement with the unions, the shafts were inspected daily to allow the pit deputies, who were in a seperate union, to keep the mines safe and useable once it was all over.
Afterwards IIRC all the mines reopened and were then closed one by one.
There are plans already inplace with a company who is looking at a process to pump chemicals into the mines under the sea off the Northeast coast, this will turn the coal to a gas which can be pumped out.
Cost is the biggest problem, but as the cost of oil extraction rises the viability of coal gets better. from coal can be made gas, petrol and many other things we take from oil. the preferance now is open cast but that has its own problems.
There was as well a different set of safety rules for the mines as it was a special case covered by the mines act, it is still the only place a woman cannot legally work.
Afterwards IIRC all the mines reopened and were then closed one by one.
There are plans already inplace with a company who is looking at a process to pump chemicals into the mines under the sea off the Northeast coast, this will turn the coal to a gas which can be pumped out.
Cost is the biggest problem, but as the cost of oil extraction rises the viability of coal gets better. from coal can be made gas, petrol and many other things we take from oil. the preferance now is open cast but that has its own problems.
There was as well a different set of safety rules for the mines as it was a special case covered by the mines act, it is still the only place a woman cannot legally work.
Mining coal in the traditional way will soon be a thing of the past.Coal gasification in situ is the way forward and we are sitting on £billions...
http://www.britishcoalgasification.co.uk/technolog...
http://www.britishcoalgasification.co.uk/technolog...
retrorider said:
Mining coal in the traditional way will soon be a thing of the past.Coal gasification in situ is the way forward and we are sitting on £billions...
http://www.britishcoalgasification.co.uk/technolog...
Absolutely fascinating! If it works, we'll be millionaires Rodney!http://www.britishcoalgasification.co.uk/technolog...
Seriously though, this is rather exciting!
Pah! Who needs deep coal mines when youve got a lovely big strip mining operation going and one of these sweet babies :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jn1DhPjnCGM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jn1DhPjnCGM
Cost isnt the biggest problem legislation is.
A previous poster is almost right when he said there was a revival going on, there was...in 2002/3. It was killed stone dead in early 2004 when the Blair govt sold the industry for political reasons on the European stage. It was a far more brutal act of betrayal upon the industry than Maggie ever inflicted.
And completely and utterly unreported.
A previous poster is almost right when he said there was a revival going on, there was...in 2002/3. It was killed stone dead in early 2004 when the Blair govt sold the industry for political reasons on the European stage. It was a far more brutal act of betrayal upon the industry than Maggie ever inflicted.
And completely and utterly unreported.
spaximus said:
I thought that they were sold as a job lot to RB mining after the miners strike was over. As to the comment about damage done by the pickets, this is not true. As part of the agreement with the unions, the shafts were inspected daily to allow the pit deputies, who were in a seperate union, to keep the mines safe and useable once it was all over.
Afterwards IIRC all the mines reopened and were then closed one by one.
There are plans already inplace with a company who is looking at a process to pump chemicals into the mines under the sea off the Northeast coast, this will turn the coal to a gas which can be pumped out.
Cost is the biggest problem, but as the cost of oil extraction rises the viability of coal gets better. from coal can be made gas, petrol and many other things we take from oil. the preferance now is open cast but that has its own problems.
There was as well a different set of safety rules for the mines as it was a special case covered by the mines act, it is still the only place a woman cannot legally work.
Exactly, we as a Nation are sitting upon a natural resource gift. I mention a sell off to the Chinese, but any Country/Countries which have the technology and wealth to invest will be able to plunder the reserves for hundreds of years. Also anticipate that technology for extraction and use of coal will gather momentum as the years go by. For me its a flippin' good time for investment! Afterwards IIRC all the mines reopened and were then closed one by one.
There are plans already inplace with a company who is looking at a process to pump chemicals into the mines under the sea off the Northeast coast, this will turn the coal to a gas which can be pumped out.
Cost is the biggest problem, but as the cost of oil extraction rises the viability of coal gets better. from coal can be made gas, petrol and many other things we take from oil. the preferance now is open cast but that has its own problems.
There was as well a different set of safety rules for the mines as it was a special case covered by the mines act, it is still the only place a woman cannot legally work.
crankedup said:
Exactly, we as a Nation are sitting upon a natural resource gift. I mention a sell off to the Chinese, but any Country/Countries which have the technology and wealth to invest will be able to plunder the reserves for hundreds of years. Also anticipate that technology for extraction and use of coal will gather momentum as the years go by. For me its a flippin' good time for investment!
Feel free to read my post above. Id just submitted my precis for a book on the subject Id been invited to tender for when the kick in the teeth came, I still have all my research somewhere. Nobody can do anything with our coal at the moment and the Chinese certainly have absolutely no interest in it as they can get it far cheaper and far more easily elsewhere anyway.Gassing Station | News, Politics & Economics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff