Velenje Coal Mine

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Velenje Coal Mine is an operating coal mine in Styria, Slovenia.

Location

Table 1: Project-level location details

Mine Name	Location	Coordinates (WGS 84)
Velenje Coal Mine	Styria, Slovenia	46.368919, 15.077637 (exact)

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

Loading map...

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Project Details

Table 2: Project status

Status	Status Detail	Opening Year	Closing Year
Operating	–	1875	2033 (planned)

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
–	2.44	2023	Underground	Longwall	21	500	1600

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
100	2022	346	Velenje	Lignite	Thermal	Sostanj power station

Table 5: Ownership and parent company

Owner	Parent Company	Headquarters
Premogovnik Velenje	Premogovnik Velenje	Slovenia

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	3.5*	3.21*	3.18*	3.1*	2.59*	2.36	2.44

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

Background

Velenje mine is a lignite mine which is owned and operated by government-owned Premogovnik Velenje, near Velenje in Slovenia. The Velenje coal mine belongs to the state-owned HOLDING SLOVENSKE ELEKTRARNE (HSE) that also owns the Sostanj power station as well as hydro power plants.

The mine is the only operating mine in Slovenia, supplying coal to the Sostanj Power Station.

As of 2012, Euracoal, a European coal industry lobby group, stated that the mine boasts "one of the thickest known coal layers in the world (up to 165 meters). The company’s long-term strategy was to operate the mine until 2054, as it is likely to remain Slovenia’s only exploitable energy resource for the next 50 years."

The mine employs a unique mining method, it is one of the largest and most modern underground mines in Europe.

As of 2023, the company’s long-term strategy was to operate the mine until 2033, according to Euracoal. The “Velenje mining method” is performed by top caving hanging seams. The basic approach is to extend the lignite extraction area above the protected area at the face. The “Velenje mining method” has been proven to be the most effective method for extracting thick coal seams.

The Velenje coal mine generated 2.44 million tonnes in coal in 2023. Four coal faces were in operation, while in 2022, only three had been in operation.

In May 2024, Slovenian Prime Minister acknowledged that the country’s only coal plant and its accompanying mine may end operations before the expected closure in 2033. It would happen “not because of politics, not because of the climate, but because of economics". An analysis was underway that includes scenarios for closure or sharp production cuts within the next three years.

As of September 2024, Sostanj power plant's operations were projected to face bankruptcy in January 2025. The coal-fired power station and Velenje coal mine would reportedly generate 150 to 200 million euros of losses in 2025. According to reporting from December 2024, the Slovenian government had agreed to pay €403 million (US$424 million) to take over the Sostanj power station and the Velenje coal mine from HSE. The coal plant was primarily slated to provide district heating for the Salek Valley until April 2027 at a cost of €327 million (US$344 million). The country aims to complete it by 2033, but it may end much sooner (i.e. by 2027).

Accidents

An accident at the mine in January 2025 killed 3 people. Water and mud entered one of the tunnels. This is not the first time an accident at Velenje turned deadly. In 2003, two miners were killed in a pillar collapse. About a week after the accident, the remaining two excavations in the Pesje section and the preparatory work sites began operating at the Velenje Coal Mine, while the excavation in the Preloge section will not operate until further notice.

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.