Germany's Anthracite Coal Production Will End In 2018 - Washington

[hatrack]

VOERDE, Germany -- About a half-mile under the Earth's surface here, dozens of soot-faced miners scrape coal from some of the richest seams in the world, just as their forebears had done for generations. Conveyor belts funnel the shiny black rock through crushing machines and up to the surface, where it helps to power the globe's third-biggest economy.

Germany's 500-year-old tradition of hard-coal mining, however, is dying out. With domestic coal long unprofitable because of cheap imports from Africa and Asia, the German government this year decided to gradually withdraw expensive subsidies that have kept its mines open for nearly a half-century.

Today, only eight hard-coal mines are in operation, down from more than 100 at the industry's peak in the late 1950s. The last of those is set to close by 2018, when the subsidies dry up. And with that, there will be no more German hard-coal miners, who once numbered more than 500,000.

EDIT

The end of the subsidies won't affect Germany's mining of lignite, or brown coal. That industry, which is concentrated in the eastern half of the country, remains profitable and relies on surface mining techniques. The deal to shut down the hard-coal industry is predicated on a pledge by lawmakers and Deutsche Steinkohle to avoid layoffs. Under present rules, miners are eligible to retire with full pension benefits at age 49 if they've logged 25 years underground. Those with less experience are guaranteed placement in jobs in other sectors or extensive retraining.

EDIT

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/29/AR2007072901078.html

[NNadir]

1. Gee, just when coal was ramping up in Germany too!

Actually, they're planning their new coal power plants to be powered with Polish and South African coal.

Germany is going to be very dependent on coal unless they regain their sanity, still, at best a 50/50 proposition.

They can certainly be happy that their former Prime Minister is on the Gazprom payroll.

[phantom power]

2. Right. Full speed ahead on the strip-mining.

I wonder if they do the full mountain-top makeover like we do here in the US?