UK Coal

UK Coal Production Ltd, formerly UK Coal plc, was the largest coal mining business in the United Kingdom. The company was based in Harworth, in Nottinghamshire. The company was a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. The successor company that contains the former property division, Harworth Group, is still listed on the London Stock Exchange.

The predecessor company of UK Coal was founded by Richard J. Budge in 1974 as RJB Mining. In 1994, following the privatisation of the UK mining industry, it grew fivefold with the acquisition of British Coal's core activities.^[2] It changed its name to UK Coal in 2001 after the retirement of its founder, having acquired UK Coal plc.^[3]

At year end 2008, the company estimated coal reserves and resources of 105 Mt at the mines, of which 45 Mt was accessible under existing five year mining and investment plans.^[4] Its most important customers were electricity generators.^[5]

In 2010 the company proposed a series of developments, mainly open-cast mining, including the Minorca mine project development in Measham, Leicestershire.^[6] However, UK Coal exited surface mining in late 2014,^[7] so these plans did not materialise.

In 2012, UK Coal were fined £200,000 after pleading guilty to breaching health and safety laws after a death of a miner at Kellingley Colliery.^[8] One deep mine, the Welbeck colliery, in Nottinghamshire closed in 2011 after continuous production since 1912.^[9] Another deep mine, Daw Mill at Furnace End, Warwickshire, closed in 2013 after an underground fire damaged much of the facilities.

On 10 April 2014, Reuters reported that the British government was to give UK Coal a £10 million loan to help fund the closure of its two remaining deep mines. The company will carry out a managed closure of the deep mines by Autumn 2015 and will seek a buyer for its surface mines.Las dificultades de UK Coal se precipitaron por una avalancha de carbón estadounidense en el mercado, como resultado del desarrollo del gas de esquisto , y por la fortaleza de la libra esterlina. ^{[ 10 ]}

La mina Thoresby Colliery cerró en julio de 2015, mientras que la mina Kellingley Colliery cesó su producción el 18 de diciembre de 2015, ^{[ 11 ]} y su propiedad se transferirá a Harworth Estates para su futura reurbanización. ^{[ 12 ]}

La empresa ya no está activa en la minería. El 18 de diciembre de 2015, la empresa cerró su última mina subterránea ubicada en Yorkshire, en Kellingley . ^{[ 11 ]} Las minas a cielo abierto se vendieron a UKCSMR Limited a finales de 2014. ^{[ 7 ]} La extracción de carbón disminuyó de 37,1 millones de toneladas en 1995 a alrededor de 7 millones de toneladas en 2009. ^{[ 22 ]}

Únicamente la antigua división inmobiliaria opera como la empresa sucesora, Harworth Estates (propiedad íntegra del Grupo Harworth).

A finales de 2007, se estimaba que los terrenos de Harworth Estates tenían un valor de 411  millones de libras esterlinas. ^{[ 22 ]} Los activos de la finca se encuentran principalmente en parques empresariales, polígonos industriales y terrenos agrícolas, con una cartera menor de propiedades residenciales (activos residenciales asociados a propiedades agrícolas). Harworth Estates gestiona, desarrolla y regenera su extensa cartera de terrenos, que suman más de 30 000 acres (12 000 ha) . ^{[ 23 ]} 

Harworth Estates ahora es propiedad al 100% del Grupo Harworth, que se había deshecho de su participación accionaria en las operaciones mineras antes de la reestructuración de marzo de 2015.

• La minería del carbón en el Reino Unido

• Sitio web archivado el 9 de noviembre de 2015.
• Fincas de Harworth