PLANS to build a new coal mine in Cumbria have been criticised by Reading West MP Alok Sharma, saying it would increase the UK’s carbon emissions.
Yesterday, Michael Gove, in his capacity as secretary of state for levelling up, approved a £165 million project to build the country’s first new coalmine for 30 years at Whitehaven.
It is thought it will produce 2.8m tonnes of coking coal, used in steelmaking, and 500 new jobs.
However, it comes at an environmental cost, thought to be around 400,000 tonnes of greenhouse gasses every year – the same as putting an additional 200,000 cars on the road.
And the majority of the coal will be used for exports.
In his reasons for approving the mine, Mr Gove said there was market for the coking coal, and production would be likely to continue until 2050, despite newer technologies coming on board.
He added that the economic benefits carried substantial weight, despite harm to the landscape.
The site will be linked to the railway and a new underground coal conveyor built.
Ahead of the decision, Mr Sharma told The Observer he was against the mine, saying: “A decision to open a new coalmine would send completely the wrong message and be an own goal.”
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As a decision on granting permission for a new coal mine in Cumbria looms, some facts:
– 85% of coal produced would be for export, not domestic use
– two major UK steel producers won’t necessarily use much of the coal, not least due to its composition and sulphur content
— Alok Sharma (@AlokSharma_RDG) December 3, 2022
And he backed this up with a series of tweets posted last week, saying the mine would be “a backward step for UK climate action but also damage the UK’s hard-won international reputation, through our COP26 Presidency, as a leader in the global fight against climate change”.
