Zivojno Coal Mine

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The Zivojno coal mine is a proposed underground and surface coal mine near Bitola, North Macedonia.

The mine, an extension of the Brod-Gneotino coal mine, will provide lignite to the Bitola power station.

Location

The satellite photo below shows the location of the proposed mine site near Bitola, North Macedonia.

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Background

The Zivojno mine would be an expansion of the Brod-Gneotino coal mine and produce 1 million tonnes through underground operations and 2 million tonnes from surface operations.

In 2021, the director of AD ESM, a state owned company, announced that they are taking concrete steps to open the mine.

Local environmental groups criticized the announcements. As the Center for Research and Environmental Information "Eco-consciousness" put it: "All this is happening in a period when the Energy Development Strategy until 2040 is being developed and adopted and work on the National Energy and Climate Plan - planning documents that clearly indicate the need for accelerated energy transformation and move away from the use of fossil fuels, which set the country as a leader within the Energy Community in terms of plans for transformation of the energy sector."

In March 2022, North Macedonia nominated the project for EU funding under the Economic and Investment Plan, despite pledging to phase out coal by 2027. The Bankwatch Briefing went on to say that "it is not clear why this project has been nominated as it does not fit any Flagship project criteria and is not part of the country's energy transition plans". "While North Macedonia has indeed had coal supply problems this winter, a new mine cannot be the answer as it will encourage the country to push back its coal phase-out date", the Briefing concludes.

In October 2022 interview, the General Director of ESM stated that the necessary preparations should be made in the coming months to start mining. ESM has obtained a concession for the exploitation. The first tonne of coal after making the initial cut should flow after three months. It appeared that the plan is to mine 1 million tonnes within the first year, within the area of 25 hectares, increasing the area by another 25 hectares later and increasing production to approximately 2 million tonnes per annum. It appeared that at that point references were only made to Surface mining.

In November 2022, a media article covering the visit of the Prime Minister to the Bitola power station mentions that the mine is in the final stage of construction. As of February 2023, it appeared that the excavation has begun. Another source from September 2023 stated that the option to open the mine still stands, but the activities have not started yet and the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning proposed that the surface mine covers a smaller area. The source referred only to surface mining with exploitation reserves of 23.6 million tonnes with planned exploitation period of 14 years.

As of November 2023, final activities regarding the documentation were said to be underway and final preparations were being made for the start of the exploitation of the mine. As per Bankwatch reported from September 2024, the planned mine still did not have an environmental impact assessment, but the company was already implementing tenders for the road infrastructure needed to bring lignite from the new mine to the power plant. As of October 2024, exploitation of the mine has not yet started. It also appeared that the targeted operating parameters have been reduced with reserves of 23.6 million tonnes and planned mining to be carried over 14 years. (thus, average annual production is about 1.7 million tonnes).

Mine Details

• Owner: ESM
• Parent Company: ESM
• Location: near Bitola, North Macedonia
• GPS coordinates: 40.967495, 21.539161 (exact)
• Mine status: Proposed
• Production: 1.7 Mtpa (revised from 3 million tonnes per annum = 2 from Surface operations + 1 from Underground)
• Start year: 2024
• Mineable reserves: 23.6 million tonnes (revised from 53 million tonnes)
• Coal type: Lignite (Thermal)
• Mine size:
• Mine type: Surface

Articles and resources

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