UK clears controversial coal mine project


The mine trestle at the Haig Colliery Mining Museum near the former site of Woodhouse Colliery where West Cumbria Mining was granted permission to mine coal, in Whitehaven, northern England, December 8, 2022 (AFP/OLI SCARFF)

The British government on Wednesday approved a controversial underground metallurgical coal mine project in England, the first such project in the country in 30 years, it said in a statement.

“This coal, which would otherwise have to be imported, will be used for the production of steel” but not “for the production of electricity”, assured the British government.

This underground mine project in the county of Cumbria (north-west of England) was first approved by the government in early 2021, sparking a wave of indignation from NGOs in the country. The local authorities of the county of Cumbria had then decided to re-examine it, before the executive regained control by announcing a public inquiry.

At the end of this procedure, a town planning inspector finally ruled in favor of the project, on the grounds that the UK’s industrial decarbonisation strategy does not ban the use of coal in metallurgy, according to a document published Wednesday by the government.

But operating operations must “aim for carbon neutrality” and the mine must also “contribute to local employment and the economy in the broad sense”, the government further argued in its press release.

Located on the coast near Whitehaven, the project has drawn a torrent of criticism from environmental NGOs and scientists from the start, saying it undermines the government’s credibility in the fight against climate change.

“The decision (on Wednesday) is a complete betrayal of the government’s commitment to limit global warming to 1.5°C,” said Lyndsay Walsh of the NGO Oxfam.

“Rising production of the dirtiest fossil fuel, as the growing climate emergency drives millions deeper and deeper into hunger and poverty, is unjustifiable,” she added.

– “Hypocrisy” –

Same story on the side of Greenpeace, which denounces the “hypocrisy” of the government of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who “barely a month ago claimed to want to make the United Kingdom a + clean energy superpower +”.

A street in Whitehaven in northern England where West Cumbria Mining has obtained government permission to mine coal, December 8, 2022

A street in Whitehaven in northern England where West Cumbria Mining has obtained government permission to extract coal, on December 8, 2022 (AFP/OLI SCARFF)

Worse, according to the organization: “this mine will do absolutely nothing for the energy security of the United Kingdom since the coal it contains can only be used for steelmaking, not to generate electricity, and that more than 80% (of the fuel) is intended for sale in Europe anyway”.

The aim for the mine is to extract around 2.7 million tonnes a year, creating 500 jobs, to supply steel mills in the UK and Europe.

Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said at the end of 2021 “not to be in favor” of this project, but added that the initiative to bury this project did not belong to him, being a decision of the local authorities. of town planning.

The mine’s approval comes a day after a U-turn by Mr Sunak’s government paving the way for a resumption of onshore wind projects, which the prime minister opposed, a stance that drew criticism even in his own left. The executive has launched a consultation on the subject.

Faced with the energy crisis in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the British government unveiled a new energy strategy earlier this year emphasizing nuclear, renewables, but also offshore fossil fuels. of the North, in the name of energy security.

The British government has also asked three energy companies to keep coal-fired power stations open this winter. But the executive ensures that its objective of completely doing without this fuel in the production of electricity by 2024 remains intact.

© 2022 AFP

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