Kreka Coal Mine

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Kreka Coal Mine is an operating coal mine in Tuzla, FBIH, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Location

Table 1: Project-level location details

Mine Name Location Coordinates (WGS 84)
Kreka Coal Mine Tuzla, FBIH, Bosnia and Herzegovina 44.52, 18.606111 (approximate)

The map below shows the approximate location of the coal mine:

Loading map...

Project Details

Table 2: Project status

Status Status Detail Opening Year Closing Year
Operating 1958

Table 3: Operation details

Note: The asterisk (*) signifies that the value is a GEM estimated figure.
Capacity (Mtpa) Production (Mtpa) Year of Production Mine Type Mining Method Mine Size (km2) Mine Depth (m) Workforce Size
1.29[1] 2021[1] Underground & Surface 50* 2194[1]

Table 4: Coal resources and destination

Total Reserves (Mt) Year of Total Reserves Recorded Total Resources (Mt) Coalfield Coal Type Coal Grade Primary Consumer/ Destination
456.008 743.954 Tuzla Lignite Thermal Gacko Thermal Power Plant

Table 5: Ownership and parent company

Owner Parent Company Headquarters
RMU Kreka doo Elektroprivreda BiH dd [90.4%]; others [9.6%] Bosnia and Herzegovina

Table 6: Historical production (unit: million tonnes per annum)

Note: The asterisk (*) indicates that the value is an estimated figure based on various factors, including the company's forecasted or reported monthly or quarterly production data, etc.
ROM or Saleable 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Saleable 2[1] 2[1] 1[1] 1[1] 1*[1] 1*[2]

Note: The above section was automatically generated and is based on data from the Global Coal Mine Tracker April 2024 release and the September supplement.

Background

Kreka coal mine (also known as Mramor) is a SURFACE and UNDERGROUND coal mine in Tuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The mine has 3 sections - Mramor is an underground mine section, Šikulje and Dubrave are surface exploitation mines.[3] Kreka operates three mine sections - Mramor is an underground mine, Šikulje and Dubrave are surface exploitation mines.[3][4]

The joint capacity of the mine sections was reported at 2.3 million tonnes per annum (2017-2018)[4].

Coal from the mine is used to supply Tuzla Thermal Power Plant.[5]

In 2014 the mine suffered great damage: complete sinking of the surface crater of Šikulje, sinking of the mining site and activation of landslides in Dubrave, sinking of the old craters of the former surface mine Lukavačka Rijeka that are located above Mramor. In Mramor as well - sinking and devastation of railway track facilities.[6] It is understood that production declined following the accident.

In May 2021 it was reported that the company is in a difficult financial position facing production declines due to the lack of investments. Mine workers have organized a strike.[7] Later in August 2021, it was reported that due to adverse results in 1H 2021 and the mine's halt in production, 111 workers were dismissed from the company.[8][9] The strikes continued into 2022.[10]

A source from October 2023 reported on the meeting among the company, the Federal Minister of Energy, Mining and Industry Elektroprivreda BiH. The new management appointed at the company found the situation catastrophic, especially regarding the production quantities of coal for the needs of Elektroprivreda BiH. The restructuring of the mine will continue with the aim of  increasing productivity of each worker, targeting monthly production of 120 thousand tonnes per month, up from 101 thousand tonnes in September 2023. [11]

Restructuring and Potential Closure

The parent company Elektroprivreda is undertaking restructuring and recapitalization of its seven coal mines over 2021-2023. The company also plans to adjust its coal mines with the national plan to reduce emissions, which will affect the drop in overall production (5 million tons of coal in 2021 is expected to drop to 4.6 by 2022 and 4.3 in 2023).[12][7]

Experts anticipate that none of Bosnia’s remaining 11 coal mines will remain operational in the coming decades as eco pressures grow and the country seeks to clean up as it courts EU membership.[13][14][15]

  • Owner: RMU Kreka doo[16]
  • Parent: Elektroprivreda BiH[3]
  • Location: Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Coordinates: 44.52, 18.606111 (approximate)
  • Status: Operating
  • Production capacity: 1.59 Mt (2020), 1.29Mt (2021 estimate based on 10m 2021)[17]
  • Total Resource: 743.954 million tonnes (Measured Indicated and Inferred Resource, 2008)[18][6]
  • Mineable Reserves: 456 million tonnes (2008)[18][6]
  • Coal Type: LIGNITE (Thermal)
  • Mine Type: SURFACE and UNDERGROUND
  • Start Year: 1958 (Mramor), 1980 (Dubrave)[16]
  • Source of Financing:

Articles and Resources

Additional data

To access additional data, including an interactive map of world coal mines, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Mine Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 (PDF) https://parlamentfbih.gov.ba/v2/userfiles/file/Materijali%20u%20proceduri_2021/Informacija%20o%20stanju%20u%20rudnicima%20FBiH%202230%20B.pdf. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. https://www.slobodnaevropa.org/a/federacija-bih-energetska-kriza/32749502.html. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Mines "Kreka"". https://www.epbih.ba/. Retrieved January 2023. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |access-date= (help); External link in |website= (help); line feed character in |title= at position 6 (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. 4.0 4.1 "The Mineral Industry of Bosnia and Herzegovina" (PDF). https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/. 2020. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help); line feed character in |title= at position 24 (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. "Thermal-power plant Tuzla", Elektroprivreda BiH website, accessed September 2012.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 "CURRENT STATE OF COAL MINES OF THE EP BIH CONCERN AND LONG TERM PLAN OF COAL SUPPLY FOR THERMAL POWER PLANTS "TUZLA" AND "KAKANJ"" (PDF). https://bhee.ba/. 2016. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help); line feed character in |title= at position 50 (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. 7.0 7.1 "How the largest Mine in FBiH fades away: Young Miners are resigning, Production is declining". https://sarajevotimes.com/. May 2021. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. "Rudnik Kreka poslao na čekanje 111 radnika, objavljujemo s kojih radnih mjesta". https://www.klix.ba/. August 2021. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. "Agonija rudnika Kreke se nastavlja, u augustu ostvarena rekordno niska proizvodnja". https://www.klix.ba/. September 2021. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. "Miners of Kreka coal mine suspend production because of unpaid salaries". https://fena.ba/. November 2022. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. "Minister Lakić with the directors of EP BiH and RMU Kreka about the situation in this mine: Production increased, salary paid on the 10th of the month". fbihvlada.gov.ba. October 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. "Coal mining sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina" (PDF). https://china-cee.eu/. 2021. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. "Down in a hole: Bosnia miners fear green revolution". https://www.euractiv.com/. November 2021. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. "Seismic Shift Under Way In Bosnia After Pledge To End Coal Industry". https://www.rferl.org/. November 23, 2021. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. "MINING IN BIH: Underground mines pending closure, there are no innocent for the social catastrophe". https://zurnal.info/. 2021. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. 16.0 16.1 "Rudnik uglja "Kreka" Tuzla". https://www.kreka.ba/. Retrieved January 2023. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |access-date= (help); External link in |website= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. "Informacija o stanju u rudnicima FBiH" (PDF). parlamentfbih.gov.ba. November 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  18. 18.0 18.1 World Bank et al, "Energy Sector Study in BIH", Accessed May 2021