Time to re-open the coalmines?

johntheexpat

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So here we are, in a recession, everything going to get worse before it gets better. More jobs down the pan, exports falling, imports rising, everybody banging on about who's fault it is, how should the guilty be 'punished' ya-di-ya-di-ya.

It still seems that nobody is talking about getting the UK out of the mire.

So here's my plan.

Which single area is the biggest expense when it comes to UK imports? I'll wager its energy. Oil, of course, but also coal for the power stations, gas for your central heating and electricity from France during peak hours to name but a few.

Which sector is never going to suffer from recession, and in all likelyhood will continue to grow? Energy, especially electricity.
Germany is planning to turn off her nuclear reactors within the foreseeable future, with no realistic plans to cover the gap. (Especially the gap on those still, dark cold Germanic winter days and nights.)
France is having problems building the next generation of Nuclear plants, so they probably won't be ready for filling the gap and other countries are all planning on pulling the plug on the atom too, so there is going to be a big shortfall.

The UK was supposed to have 200 years worth of coal still buried, so lets un-bury it! No one realistically gives a flying fig about Global Warming at the moment, so take advantage of that while creating a quick quater of a million jobs in the mines, plus goodness knows how many more in support industries. Get building coal power stations, gasification plants, coal to petrol plants and all the associated energy related sidelines.

And once we have the power stations selling electricity at inflated prices to green Europe, we can also develop a world beating carbon capture research group to pretend we still care. (As was often quoted in the Climate Change forum, the UK produces 2% of Global CO2, big deal, why worry, but if we can sell the technology for loads of dosh, go for it)
The UK balance of trade will benefit massively. Imports of expensive energy will suddenly become exports of expensive energy. The Germans can 'go green' while paying through the nose for our 'dirty electricity' to keep their industry going.
If the UK has access to cheap electricity, that will promote electric cars, another area where the UK could suddenly become a world leader.

So, half a million jobs in the mines and associated industries.
Another half a million in construction and energy production.
Another half a million in industries that benefit from cheap energy.
Every three jobs created means at least one more in a service industry, so that brings new jobs up to 2 million. Any more and you would need to flood the country with immigrants to fill the posts.

And all you have to do is go back to Britains industrial roots and re-open the coal mines.

Easy.
 
Would it not effectively be a massive government expense in the name of job creation. As I believe foreign coal be it from open cast mines or from the subsidized German coal industry is cheaper than mining coal in the UK.

The EU Large Combustion Plant Directive (LCPD) would also be a problem, as would are commitments to lowering our carbon foot print.

I live near a cluster of power stations coal/oil/gas. Plant A is coal it is restricted in its operating hours and due to be closed down in 2015 because of the LCPD. The coal it currently burns from foreign countries because it is cheaper.
 
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The TUC and energy board posted a document October last year called Roadmap for Coal makes interesting reading.


Here's the html

http://www.tuc.org.uk/templates/ser...//www.tuc.org.uk/tucfiles/106/CoalRoadmap.doc

Effect of proposals on coal burn

The White Paper reforms seem likely to significantly reduce future coal burn. Whilst no predictions are made, policies have been designed to switch burn from existing coal to gas plant and encourage new unabated gas build to fill the future generation gap as a result of the closure of old coal and nuclear plant.

As stated above existing coal plant have to make significant investment to meet the tighter emissions standards of the IED. As a result of the EMR and the uncertainty about the on-going role of coal burn this investment is unlikely to be made, forcing the stations to restrict their running hours and eventually close.

Coal mining, especially deep mines, has long development lead-times where financial payback could be 10-15 years away. Because of the limited life expectancy of coal stations, generators could be unwilling to enter into coal supply contracts of a required duration necessary to underpin investment in the mining industry
.

It is important that existing coal plants are not forced to close prematurely (due to UK Government action on carbon pricing), as they are able to play a role in providing flexible low cost electricity during the transition to a low carbon economy. This will enable the UK coal industry to continue to invest and preserve the necessary skills base to maintain current levels of production in readiness for the growth of coal plant with carbon abatement (CCS). It will also help preserve the thousands of jobs within the coal infrastructure chain.



Uk Coal are not standing still and are looking at renewable options and things like gas capture from the deep mines

http://www.ukcoal.com/divisions-overview
 
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So here we are, in a recession, everything going to get worse before it gets better. More jobs down the pan, exports falling, imports rising, everybody banging on about who's fault it is, how should the guilty be 'punished' ya-di-ya-di-ya.

It still seems that nobody is talking about getting the UK out of the mire.

So here's my plan.

Which single area is the biggest expense when it comes to UK imports? I'll wager its energy. Oil, of course, but also coal for the power stations, gas for your central heating and electricity from France during peak hours to name but a few.

Which sector is never going to suffer from recession, and in all likelyhood will continue to grow? Energy, especially electricity.
Germany is planning to turn off her nuclear reactors within the foreseeable future, with no realistic plans to cover the gap. (Especially the gap on those still, dark cold Germanic winter days and nights.)
France is having problems building the next generation of Nuclear plants, so they probably won't be ready for filling the gap and other countries are all planning on pulling the plug on the atom too, so there is going to be a big shortfall.

The UK was supposed to have 200 years worth of coal still buried, so lets un-bury it! No one realistically gives a flying fig about Global Warming at the moment, so take advantage of that while creating a quick quater of a million jobs in the mines, plus goodness knows how many more in support industries. Get building coal power stations, gasification plants, coal to petrol plants and all the associated energy related sidelines.

And once we have the power stations selling electricity at inflated prices to green Europe, we can also develop a world beating carbon capture research group to pretend we still care. (As was often quoted in the Climate Change forum, the UK produces 2% of Global CO2, big deal, why worry, but if we can sell the technology for loads of dosh, go for it)
The UK balance of trade will benefit massively. Imports of expensive energy will suddenly become exports of expensive energy. The Germans can 'go green' while paying through the nose for our 'dirty electricity' to keep their industry going.
If the UK has access to cheap electricity, that will promote electric cars, another area where the UK could suddenly become a world leader.

So, half a million jobs in the mines and associated industries.
Another half a million in construction and energy production.
Another half a million in industries that benefit from cheap energy.
Every three jobs created means at least one more in a service industry, so that brings new jobs up to 2 million. Any more and you would need to flood the country with immigrants to fill the posts.

And all you have to do is go back to Britains industrial roots and re-open the coal mines.

Easy.

Right you want to re open outdated mines that havent been entered in generations with possible problems which can add costs to the taxpayer:laugh::laugh::laugh:
 
Interestingly, EDF (the non-racist one) have just announced a 5% cut in energy prices, and the rest of the industry is expected to follow suit. Not a big deal considering they raised prices by 15% in November, but it's the first time I can recall them dropping rather than rising.
 
Right you want to re open outdated mines that havent been entered in generations with possible problems which can add costs to the taxpayer:laugh::laugh::laugh:

We'll tell all the unemployed it's a console mine, should be no end of eager workers then :thumbsup:
 
I am... :oops:

English Defence Force is a cooler name though. ;)
 
I am... :oops:

English Defence Force is a cooler name though. ;)

lol, saying that, I have a friend who works for BNP Paribas and he told me that when he was once on a blind date, his date asked what he did for a living, he promptly told her he works for BNP Paribas; she then proceeded to blast him and call him a racist scumbag, clearly confusing the French banking conglomerate for the political party :facepalm:
 
lol, saying that, I have a friend who works for BNP Paribas and he told me that when he was once on a blind date, his date asked what he did for a living, he promptly told her he works for BNP Paribas; she then proceeded to blast him and call him a racist scumbag, clearly confusing the French banking conglomerate for the political party :facepalm:

Well seeing this a thread about coal mines. This is what they used to call the NCB in South Wales.

No C Bothers. I leave you to fill in the C word.:rolleyes:
 

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