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The Ffos-y-Fran coal mine was an opencast mine located in the district of Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales, United Kingdom.
In 2022, the company proposed a life-of-mine extension, lasting for 9 months to 3 years depending, on approvals. However, the extension was refused by the Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council in April 2023. Soon after, it was announced that Ffos-y-Fran would close as of November 30, 2023.[1]
Location
The satellite image below shows the exact location of the closing coal mine in Wales County, United Kingdom.
Background
The official name of this project was the "Ffos-y-Fran Reclamation Scheme," a joint development by Miller Argent (South Wales) Ltd., a jointly owned company between The Miller Group, Ltd., Argent Group PLC, and Bernard J. Llewellyn JP. The development of the Ffos-y-Fran coal mine is the last stage of the East Merthyr Reclamation scheme, an initiative begun in the mid-1980s to extract coal from the East Merthyr area, with goals of economic revival and reclamation of the landscape.
Miller Argent excavated 1000 acres of land to a depth of 180 meters (600 feet) in order to begin mining coal.[2] The mine provided around 10 million tonnes of coal over 15 years, which resulted in an estimated 30 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.[3]
Historically, Ffos-y-Fran produced 40,000-50,000 tonnes of coal per month.[4] Its coal was supplied to Aberthaw power station and to Tata Steel.[5]
As one of Europe's largest opencast mines, the Ffos-y-Fran mine has been the subject of widespread criticism and has been the site of a number of protests. More than 10,000 people signed a petition opposing the mine, which will include a 100 meter deep pit as close as 35 meters from some local homes.[6]Elsewhere in the UK, coal mines are required to have a 500 meter buffer zone between the mine and local residents, however such legislation has not been passed in Wales.
Direct Actions against Ffos-y-Fran
April 1, 2008: Occupation of Ffos-y-Fran coal mine construction site
On April 1, 2008, as part of the Fossil Fools International Day of Action, dozens of local residents and activists from a variety of environmental groups occupied the Ffos-y-Fran coal mine construction site in South Wales. Protestors arrived at 6 am, scaled a coal washery and dropped a 100-foot banner, took over construction machinery, and locked themselves to the front gate, shutting down major work at the site for the day. Police made two arrests, and the other activists left without incident.[7][8]
Proposed Extension
The Ffos-y-Fran mine's planning permission expired in September 2022. Shortly before this date, Merthyr (South Wales) Ltd proposed a 9-month life-of-mine extension which would have allowed for a further 240,000 tonnes of coal to be extracted; allowed time to submit an application for a 3 year extension; and would have extended the deadline to finish the restoration scheme to June 2026 due to "insufficient funds" having been set aside.[9][10] Merthyr argued that it should be considered "nationally significant" due to its role in supplying a local source of coal for Tata's Port Talbot steelworks. However, in April 2023, the Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council refused the company's proposal, citing that it "failed to meet the test of 'wholly exceptional circumstances.'"[11]
Closure
Following the disapproval of Merthyr (South Wales) Ltd's planned proposal, the company notified the Welsh government it would cease operation of its Ffos-y-Fran mine on 30 November 2023.[9]
Mine Details
- Operator: Merthyr
- Owner: Gwent Investments
- Location: Wales County, United Kingdom
- Coordinates: 51.7535, -3.3442 (exact)
- Mine status: Operating
- Start year: 2007
- Production capacity (Mtpa): 0.104
- Total reserves (Mt): 10.56
- Coal type: Bituminous, thermal
- Mine type: Surface
- Mine size (Km2): 1000 acres
- Mine depths:~180m (600 ft)[12]
- Workforce size:
- Primary consumer:
- Source of financing:
Resources
References
- ↑ Tomos Evans, "Ffos-y-Fran: UK's largest opencast coal mine confirms closure date", Sky News, 16 August 2023.
- ↑ "Ffos-y-fran" The Coal Hole website
- ↑ "Protest halts opencast mine work", BBC News, December 5, 2007.
- ↑ Anthony Lewis, "Plans put forward for Merthyr coal mine to keep operating for a further nine months to help steel industry and with the security of energy supply", Wales Online, 20 September 2022.
- ↑ "Helping to power Wales", Miller Argent website, Archived from the original on 20 January 2017, Accessed October 2023.
- ↑ "Ffos-y-fran" The Coal Hole website.
- ↑ "Making a Stand", Merthyr Express, April 3, 2008.
- ↑ "Protestors Shut Down Open-Cast Mine in Wales, Two Arrests", Fossil Fools Day blog, April 1, 2008.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Coal mine: Councillors advised to reject bid to keep Ffos-y-Fran open", BBC News, 18 April 2023.
- ↑ "Ffos-y-fran opencast coal mine pressures Council for extension in climate crisis", Coal Action Network, 14 September 2022.
- ↑ Code No. P/22/0237 Refusal of Permission, Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council, 27 April 2023.
- ↑ The new coal age, Monibot, 2007
