Hatfield Colliery closure speeds up UK exit from deep coal mining
Britain’s Hatfield Colliery will stop producing coal with immediate effect after being unable to sell its coal following the sharp rise in the UK’s carbon tax, Prospect union said on Tuesday.
The closure of the employee-owned mine in South Yorkshire is 14 months earlier than expected. Around 500 employees work at the mine.
In April, Britain’s carbon tax, which charges power producers for each tonne of carbon dioxide (CO2) they emit, almost doubled to 18.08 pounds per tonne to encourage utilities to switch fuels, as coal-fired power generation produces almost double the amount of CO2 as gas-fired plants.
“Hatfield has been unable to sell its coal because of the government’s refusal to sponsor coal contracts with generators and the doubling of the UK’s carbon tax,” Prospect negotiator Mike Macdonald said.
— http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/06/30/uk-coal-closure-idUKKCN0PA1FU20150630
Is there anything to say?
Whilst expecting people to go down mines is not good the matter of wilful manipulation of the environment where government knows very well the side effects is disgusting. Actionable? Yes. Against passive aggressive power? Forget it.
The former can be avoided in due course by using engineering except that needs money for development. That too is manipulated away.
Post by Tim
Tallbloke's Talkshop 
From what I’ve seen most of this climate madness stems from the EU.
Ed’s not happy http://www.yorkshireandhumberlabour.org.uk/statement_by_ed_miliband_mp_on_closure_of_hatfield_colliery
Yes That Ed
Climate Change Ed says: ‘But that market will not be supplied by indigenous coal, but imported coal, with all the environmental costs of shipping coal to Britain.’
What about the environmental costs of shipping wood pellets to Britain for biomass burning, Mister Ed? Speak up lad 😐
@oldbrew – “… shipping coal to Britain”.
May I be the first to suggest a dedicated terminal for this, at Newcastle.
There are already two coal terminals at Newcastle.
You’re right. Plans are further advanced than I thought … 😉
Dangerous stuff electricity.
A few hours ago I went into the attic, clear sunny day, getting a bit too warm, opened window, turned on room fan.
Switch fan to faster setting.
What happened next came in a flash it was so unexpected, heck of a noise as all the fan blades sheared, shards blew off the wire mesh guard. Check carefully, no blood, the guard did it’s safety job.
Is there any other country further along the Green Suicide path?
Just wondering if there is any hope of a ‘blow up’ in some other country first, of if the UK (having killed coal and strangling gas) will hit that wall first?
It would be nice if you had an “Energy Greece” for illumination of the road ahead…
As long as coal can be obtained at better prices including shipping, from places where it is simply scooped up open cast, then sending blokes underground to get it will lose out.
But look on the bright side, it’ll still be there in the future should we ever need it.
Replace local coal with imported wood chips that result in 25% more CO2 emissions?
Is there really any supporter in the UK willing to say that straight out, in public?
Let’s see what is responsible for the heat in Europe. What will happen in the winter?
http://earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/isobaric/250hPa/equirectangular
Graeme No.3
A lot of people make the mistake of taking what the Greenoids and other assorted delusionals say literally. They share much in common with Humpty Dumpty when it comes to what things mean.
And should anybody be clever enough to achieve a feat comparable with catching an eel, and pin them down, he will quickly be denounced as a ‘Denier’ 🙂