{"id":5262,"date":"2020-02-16T21:12:06","date_gmt":"2020-02-16T20:12:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/euracoal.eu\/?page_id=5262"},"modified":"2020-02-16T21:12:06","modified_gmt":"2020-02-16T20:12:06","slug":"added-value","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/pipe.euracoal.biz\/?page_id=5262","title":{"rendered":"Added value from coal"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Pylons on 400 kV Morzyczyn-Dunowo transmission line near Szczecin, Poland \u00a9 Nightman1965 | Dreamstime.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Coal is abundant, affordable and available \u2013 that is why it is the fuel of choice for electricity generation in many developed and developing countries.\u00a0 In Europe, coal ensures a truly competitive energy market.\u00a0 Without inter-fuel competition from coal, industrial and residential electricity consumers would face much higher power prices.<\/p>\n

Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, coal has brought prosperity to many nations.\u00a0 Industrialisation has improved living conditions, health care and communications.\u00a0 Life expectancy in the United Kingdom has doubled thanks to industrialisation \u2013 a picture repeated around the world.\u00a0 As society has aged so the global population has increased, creating a higher demand for energy.\u00a0 Forecasts predict that energy demand will continue growing, so new energy technologies will be needed to meet the expectation of higher living standards for all and a clean environment.<\/p>\n

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Figure 10 – Life expectancy in rich and poor countries around the world has increased with industrialisation (Sources: Riley, 2005; \u00a0Clio Infra, 2015 in Zijdeman, 2015; and UN Population Division, 2019) N.b.<\/em> life expectancy at birth is the average number of years a newborn would live if the pattern of mortality in the given year were to stay the same throughout its life.<\/p>\n

In the European Union, coal remains an important energy source, meeting 15% of primary energy demand in 2017.\u00a0 At 187 million tonnes of coal equivalent (Mtce), indigenous coal and lignite production exceeded EU production of oil or fossil gas.\u00a0 Ample reserves of coal and lignite are found in many member states.<\/p>\n

Coal mining companies create well-paid jobs with above-regional-average salaries (Figure 12).\u00a0 They pay national taxes and contribute to local authority budgets.\u00a0 Overall, EU companies making up the coal-value chain (e.g.<\/i> mining, supply, power generation and coke making) paid a net \u20ac35 billion to governments in 2015 (Figure 11).\u00a0 Unlike renewable energy sources, the oil, gas and coal sectors make net contributions to the public purse.<\/p>\n

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Figure 11 – EU28 + Norway net government revenues and mandated transfers, 2015 (Source: NERA analysis for IOGP, 2018)<\/em><\/p>\n

In 2018, across the EU, 76 million tonnes of hard coal and 367 million tonnes of lignite were produced.\u00a0 Mining this coal employed 163 thousand people, some at integrated mine and power plants.\u00a0 In the greater Europe, including the Balkans, Turkey and Ukraine, this number rises to 291 thousand people (Table 1).\u00a0 Adding the indirect jobs supported by coal mining at suppliers of equipment, services and materials leads to a total of around 800 thousand people whose livelihoods depend on the coal industry.\u00a0 Coal mining is often the main employer in regions which would otherwise be depressed and suffering from high unemployment.<\/p>\n

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Figure 12 – Average annual wages in the mining and quarrying sector, which includes coal mining, compared with wages across industry in EU member states, 2014 (Source: Eurostat database earn_ses14_27, last update 18.05.2018)<\/em><\/p>\n

The annual value of EU-wide coal and lignite production, based on its calorific value and on international hard coal prices, totalled around \u20ac18 billion in 2018.1<\/sup>\u00a0 Adding coal imports lifts the total value of coal used in the EU to \u20ac34 billion.\u00a0 To replace this coal with fossil gas would mean a greater dependency on non-EU gas as the EU itself has insufficient indigenous fossil gas production to meet its existing<\/i> needs.\u00a0 In 2017, the EU was 74% dependent on gas imports.<\/p>\n

In 2017, power generation from coal and other solid fuels \u2013 indigenous and imported \u2013 accounted for 21.5% of gross electricity production in the EU.\u00a0 With the growth of intermittent renewable power generation from wind and solar, the flexibility of conventional thermal power plants matters more and more.\u00a0 Coal-fired power plants respond as quickly as gas-fired plants to the ups and down of electricity supply and demand, helping to keep electricity grids in balance and our lights on, whatever the time of day, whatever the weather and whatever the season.<\/p>\n

Table 1 – Manpower in the European coal industry, 2015 and 2018 Source: EURACOAL members<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n\n

2015<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

2018<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Hard Coal<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Lignite<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Total<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Hard Coal<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Lignite<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Total<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Bosnia and Herzegovina<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

–<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

14 382<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

14 382<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

–<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

13 323<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

13 323<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Bulgaria<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

–<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

11 765<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

11 765<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

–<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

10 294<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

10 294<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Czech Republic<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

10 131<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

7 869<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

18 000<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

6 757<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

7 147<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

13 904<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Germany<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

9 640<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

15 428<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

25 068<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

4 125<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

15 876<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

20 001<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Greece<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

–<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

4 919<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

4 919<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

–<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

4 082<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

4 082<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Hungary<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

–<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1 655<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1 655<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

–<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1 400<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1 400<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Norway<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

267<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

–<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

267<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

126<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

–<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

126<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Poland<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

89 924<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

9 574<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

99 498<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

82 843<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

8 583<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

91 426<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Romania<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

4 442<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

10 600<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

15 042<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

3 022<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

13 000<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

16 022<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Serbia<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1 600<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

12 360<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

13 960<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

3 500<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

14 850<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

18 350<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Slovakia<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

–<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

2 190<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

2 190<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

–<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

2 000<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

2 000<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Slovenia<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

–<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1 274<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1 274<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

–<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1 252<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1 252<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Spain<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

3 324<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

–<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

3 324<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1 549<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

–<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1 549<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Turkey<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

15 668<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

28 856<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

44 524<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

14 251<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

37 596<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

51 847<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Ukraine<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

122 000<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

–<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

122 000<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

44 300<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

–<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

44 300<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

United Kingdom<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1 975<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

–<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1 975<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

647<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

–<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

647<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Total<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

258 971<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

120 872<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

379 843<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

161 120<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

129 403<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

290 523<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Note<\/b><\/p>\n

1<\/sup> Indigenous coal production of 76 Mt, lignite production of 367 Mt (approximately 133 Mt at 6 000 kcal\/kg) and imports of 167 Mt in 2018, at an average price of 92 US$\/tonne for steam coal and double this for coking coal (IHS, 2019).<\/p>\n

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A bucket-wheel excavator on the move between PGE GiEK lignite mines, Be\u0142chat\u00f3w, Poland \u00a9 Andrzej Zbraniecki | Dreamstime.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Coal is abundant, affordable and available \u2013 that is why it is the fuel of choice for electricity generation in many developed and developing countries.\u00a0 In Europe, coal ensures a truly competitive energy market.\u00a0 Without inter-fuel competition from coal, industrial and residential electricity consumers would face much higher power prices. Since the beginning of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":5253,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-5262","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pipe.euracoal.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5262","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pipe.euracoal.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pipe.euracoal.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pipe.euracoal.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pipe.euracoal.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5262"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pipe.euracoal.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5262\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pipe.euracoal.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5253"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pipe.euracoal.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5262"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}