Green Groups Furious As New Coalmine In Cumbria Is Approved
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on The Times.
These two paragraphs outline the story.
Michael Gove has approved the first deep coalmine in 30 years, despite calls from environmental activists and Labour to turn down the project.
The levelling-up secretary’s planning approval for the mine in Cumbria comes after two years of opposition. Critics said that it would increase emissions and 85 per cent of the coking coal would be exported to produce steel.cumbria
In March 2019, I wrote Whitehaven Deep Coal Mine Plan Moves Step Closer, when local councillors unanimously backed the plan.
In that post, I speculated about the possibility of using the coal from Cumbria with the HIsarna ironmaking process and wrote this.
In Wikipedia, there is an entry for the HIsarna ironmaking process.
This process is being developed by the Ultra-Low Carbon Dioxide Steelmaking (ULCOS) consortium, which includes Tata Steel and the Rio Tinto Group. Reduction in carbon-dioxide produced by the process compared to traditional steel-making are claimed to be as high as fifty percent.
This figure does not include carbon-capture to reduce the carbon-dioxide still further.
However, looking at descriptions of the process, I feel that applying carbon-capture to the HIsarna steelmaking process might be a lot easier, than with traditional steelmaking.
If you are producing high quality steel by a process like HIsarna, you want to make sure that you don’t add any impurities from the coal, so you have a premium product.
So is Cumbrian metallurgical coal important to the HIsarna process?
I originally heard that the coal from Whitehaven was very pure carbon and I felt as the HIsarna process uses powdered coal, there might be a connection between the two projects. Reading today in The Times article, it seems that the Cumbrian coal has some sulphur. So either the HIsarna project is dead or the Dutch have found a way to deal with the sulphur.
The HIsarna process is a continuous rather than a batch process and because of that, it should be easier to capture the carbon dioxide for use elsewhere or storage in a depleted gas field.
There’s more to come out on the reason for the approval of the project.
I shall be digging hard to see what I can find. But I do believe a steel-making process, that uses a much smaller amount of coal, not coke, could lead to a more economic way of making zero-carbon steel than using hydrogen created by electrolysis.
Carbon capture would need to be used to deal with carbon dioxide produced, but progress is being made with this technology.
Whitehaven Deep Coal Mine Plan Moves Step Closer
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the first three paragraphs.
The first new deep coal mine in the UK for decades has moved a step closer after councillors unanimously backed the plans.
The West Cumbria Mining Company wants to mine next to the site of the former colliery in Whitehaven that shut three decades ago.
The Woodhouse Colliery could create 500 jobs, but objectors have said mining will contribute to global warming.
I am not normally a friend or supporter of coal, but there might be a different agenda behind this mine.
The coal that will be mined at Woodchurch Mine, will not be burnt in a power station or steam engine, as it is being mined for a different purpose. It is high-quality metallurgical coal, Wikipedia says this about metallurgical coal.
Metallurgical coal is a grade of low-ash, low-sulfur and low-phosphorus coal that can be used to produce high grade coke. Coke is an essential fuel and reactant in the blast furnace process for primary steelmaking. The demand for metallurgical coal is highly coupled to the demand for steel. Primary steelmaking companies will often have a division that produces coal for coking, to ensure stable and low-cost supply
Currently, there is a shortage of this product and Europe import several million tonnes a year.
It also appears that the Cumbrian metallurgical coal is of a high quality and low in impurities.
In Wikipedia, there is an entry for the HIsarna ironmaking process.
This process is being developed by the Ultra-Low Carbon Dioxide Steelmaking (ULCOS) consortium, which includes Tata Steel and the Rio Tinto Group. Reduction in carbon-dioxide produced by the process compared to traditional steel-making are claimed to be as high as fifty percent.
This figure does not include carbon-capture to reduce the carbon-dioxide still further.
However, looking at descriptions of the process, I feel that applying carbon-capture to the HIsarna steelmaking process might be a lot easier, than with traditional steelmaking.
If you are producing high quality steel by a process like HIsarna, you want to make sure that you don’t add any impurities from the coal, so you have a premium product.
So is Cumbrian metallurgical coal important to the HIsarna process?
I obviously don’t know and it is not even certain that HIsarna will eventually become a mainstream way of producing high-quality steel.
But you can be assured that there are other companies trying to find the Holy Grail of producing high quality steel with low impurities and without creating masses of carbon-dioxide.
The company or organisation, who cracks this one will make a fortune ethically, as we’ll always need lots of high quality steel.
Conclusion
Mining coal in Cumbria may seem a retrograde step, but it could be central to cutting carbon-dioxide emissions in high-quality steel-making.
I’ll be watching this development with interest.
Cumbrian Coast’s Coal Comeback?
The title of this post is the same as that of an article in Issue 874 of Rail Magazine.
When I saw this article, I thought it was rather surprising, as coal is rather the arch-demon to environmentalists.
But this is not about coal for producing electricity, but metallurgical coal, that will be used in steelmaking.
West Cumbria Mining are proposing the mine and ofn their web site, the following is said.
West Cumbria Mining is investing in developing plans for the creation of a metallurgical coal mine off the coast near Whitehaven in West Cumbria to supply the UK and European steel-making coal market, which currently imports around 45 million tonnes per annum.
I would assume the 45 million tonnes refers to the total of the UK and European markets. S there is certainly a large market to supply, if the price is right.
Woodhouse Colliery
This extract describes how the mine will be created.
Woodhouse Colliery would be created using the access tunnels to old anhydrite workings at the former Sandwith Drift Mine, on the edge of Whitehaven. Until 2004, the site was occupied by the Marchon chemical works.
Studies have determined that sufficient coal reserves could be accessed to sustain mining operations for at least 50 years.
This picture was taken from their web site.
It doesn’t look to be a stereotypical coal mine.
Much of the coal would appear to be mined offshore.
Use Of The Railway
This extract talks about the use of the Cumbrian Coast Line, that passes through Whitehaven.
One of the things that actually makes the project realistic and viable is that we have access to existing infrastructure. There are lots of projects where actually the biggest capital cost is the infrastructure required. We have to remove everything by rail – one: because of the volume of material; but two: we wouldn’t be able to get planning if it was a road solution.
An agreement has been reached with Freightliner to transport the coal to Redcar. With the mine in full production, six trains per day would operate Monday-Friday.
More details about the rail transport are also given.
- There would be a single-track siding for loading.
- The siding would be connected to the mine by a 1.4 mile coal conveyor.
- Everything is covered, so there no dust and gas.
- The loading will be in an acoustically-closed building.
- Trains will have 23 wagons.
- Class 66 or Class 70 locomotives will be used.
It does appear that they are designing most things to a high standard.
These days, if planning permission with conditions is given, the conditions are usually adhered to, as sanctions are now easier to apply through the Courts.
I do have a few thoughts.
Route Between Whitehaven And Redcar
Trains would probably go via Carlisle, Newcastle and Middlesbrough
There would not be much electrification on the route, except for on the East Coast Main Line.
I would estimate that trains would take around three hours between the Woodhouse Colliery and Redcar
Rolling Stock
The article states that the wagons would be a dedicated fleet for the operation.
Surely, they could be designed for fast and quiet operation.
Locomotives
I feel that locomotives that meet the latest European regulations should be used. Class 66 locomotives do not, Class 68 locomotives do!
I also feel that in the next five years or so, more environmentally-friend;y and quieter locomotives will become available.
Improving The Cumbrian Coast Line
The article describes how the Cumbrian Coast Line will be improved if the mine gets Planning Permission.
Conclusion
If we are going to continue to make and use steel in the UK and Europe, it looks like this mine could create wealth in a part of the UK that needs it, without causing too many negatives.
It’s an interesting project.
The Anonymous Widower 