Cumbria coal mine go-ahead
- Thread starter Cantclimbtom
- Start date
speleokitty3
Member
Yes, that's one but not the only reason to produce coke. Judging by the smell of sulphur in Port Talot, I would guess that the coking coal they use isn't especially low in sulphur. Most of the sulphur is removed in the blast furnace anyway where it combines with limestone in the charge and the remainder is removed using a variety of other techniques.
Sulphur is actually added back into some specialised steel and other iron- based alloys in some cases.
I've only heard activists say that the coal isn't suitable, and I have heard them say a lot of other things about steel making that aren't true.
Cantclimbtom
Well-known member
I think it's unlikely people would commit to investing in a mine with coal that's known to be either unsuitable or unsellable. The whole sales pitch was that this coal *was* of a type and quality that was needed unlike German/Polish Lignite, South African bituminous etc etc
Edit: a little more info here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodhouse_Colliery but specifics on the grade of coal are hard to come by, "metallurgical coal" (i.e. suitable for coking) and *not* steam (thermal) coal for "ESI" (Electricity Supply Industry) use is the best I can do. It is purported to be a grade too good for just burning in Drax, but as mentioned exact info it's being kept close to their chest
Edit: a little more info here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodhouse_Colliery but specifics on the grade of coal are hard to come by, "metallurgical coal" (i.e. suitable for coking) and *not* steam (thermal) coal for "ESI" (Electricity Supply Industry) use is the best I can do. It is purported to be a grade too good for just burning in Drax, but as mentioned exact info it's being kept close to their chest
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zzzzzzed
Active member
Britain should embrace new coal mining
For those of us who remember the miners’ strike in the 1980s it takes some getting used to the journey made by coal miners over the past 40 years: from working class heroes to climate ‘criminals’. To hear today’s reaction to the news that Michael Gove has granted permission to build Britain’s...
www.spectator.co.uk
There are some interesting points made in this article about the use of coal in steel production.
alanw
Well-known member
I wonder how many who in the 80's "dug deep for the miners" are now demonstrating against coal and fracking?Britain should embrace new coal mining
For those of us who remember the miners’ strike in the 1980s it takes some getting used to the journey made by coal miners over the past 40 years: from working class heroes to climate ‘criminals’. To hear today’s reaction to the news that Michael Gove has granted permission to build Britain’s...
There are some interesting points made in this article about the use of coal in steel production.
ttxela2
Active member
Well... I think people on here like old mines and mining history - and probably have a fair interest in modern mining as well.
That probably doesn't (or shouldn't) translate into immediate unconditional support for any mining operation proposed.
I'm finding it hard to say if I'm in favour or not. The more I read the more compexities I am aware of.
Chocolate fireguard
Active member
Not something you hear very often.
Ah, but before that it was sheep (or wool). Thing's change.
I suspect that the Green zealots have little understanding of where all their manufactured goods come from and how they are made. Where's the sense in exporting all our industry to China and India and using energy to ship their products here?
There's only one growth industry here, Logistics and warehousing to store and distribute imported goods. Everywhere you go in Britain these days you see massive warehouses
There's only one growth industry here, Logistics and warehousing to store and distribute imported goods. Everywhere you go in Britain these days you see massive warehouses
Cantclimbtom
Well-known member
Absolutely: I agree with you that the old mantra of: reduce, reuse, and only last... recycle, got lost to many people years ago and unabated consumption has become unquestioned, so it becomes a matter of bean-counting local carbon quotas and if made in China it's not on our tally. If we outsource manufacture to China/India etc not only do we need to worry about shipping like you mention but we must question if some goods made in China would be manufactured as environmentally carefully as in UK/Europe. Primary steel production is the big one in this thread. If X tons of steel are made in India using their local coal and transported to UK, will that be more or less polluting (not just the CO2 equiv) than making the same amount of steel in UK using UK coal/coke? If anyone has any figures that would be interesting. </RANT>
On a lighter and historical note to do with logistics and maybe interest to people who find bottles in mines. It wasn't so long ago that things like soft drinks were produced and bottled fairly locally, like artefacts for Kay's of Llandudno or WH Hill in Llandudno (Ginger beer, mineral waters etc in stone and glass bottles).
Anyone here remember returning a bottle to a shop and getting 10p? Bottles don't get returned these days because it'd be the other side of the country to get them back to producer (even if they were all glass). This is another factor for all the logistics on the roads.
Cosmo Smallpiece
Member
Post war there were hundreds of coal mines in the UK. It was economics and capitalism that closed them down, not Green zealots.
Same reason that we buy cheap general goods from abroad. They're cheap. Again no cause to point a finger at the tree-huggers there either.
RobinGriffiths
Well-known member
What about the yogurt weavers ?
Cosmo Smallpiece
Member
Again no. But hair weavers like Arthur Scargill, possibly yes?
What shut down coal was the Leman, Inde and other big southern North Sea gas fields that came on stream in the 80’s and 90’s. Coal demand collapsed. What is causing the UK big trouble now is they are heavily depleted and will mostly be gone by 2040. So just enough time to build a lot of nuclear power.
Coal mining is a nasty business to work in that should not be overly encouraged. I can see the need for metallurgical coal, but not for heat.
Coal mining is a nasty business to work in that should not be overly encouraged. I can see the need for metallurgical coal, but not for heat.
Wayland Smith
Active member
No, but, I remember taking them back to get 3d (three old pence.)
Two of them and you could get six penn'orth of chips and have a feast!
braveduck
Active member
England sits on Coal and is surrounded by Fish ,what could possibly go wrong ?
RobinGriffiths
Well-known member
Unfortunately we don't like our own fish much. We prefer cod and haddock from more northern waters.
I don't know if we make more for exporting fish than we pay for importing, but it's still an increasing market:
www.seafish.org
Retail & wholesale just beat health & social care for number of employees:
Our biggest money earners nowadays are finance and consultancy, but construction and car sales are still up there:
www.ibisworld.com
Seafood trade and Brexit — Seafish
Most of the seafood caught in UK waters is exported and most of that export goes to the EU. We publish research and data on seafood trade in the EU.
www.seafish.org
Retail & wholesale just beat health & social care for number of employees:
Our biggest money earners nowadays are finance and consultancy, but construction and car sales are still up there:
IBISWorld - Industry Market Research, Reports, and Statistics
Expert industry market research to help you make better business decisions, faster. Industry market research reports, statistics, analysis, data, trends and forecasts.
www.ibisworld.com
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