Coal mining in Czechia declined 17% last year as downturn accelerated

Coal mining in the Czech Republic fell sharply again last year. More than 25 million tonnes of lignite and hard coal were mined in the country, almost 17 percent less year on year. Production was traditionally driven mainly by lignite, which accounted for 95 percent of the mineral extracted. Coke production also fell. This is according to statistics from the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MPO).

The gradual decline in mining seen in recent years accelerated further last year. The trend is linked to the government’s plan to phase out coal-fired power and heat generation by 2033. The only exception was 2022, when mining rose by around 14 percent year on year, mainly due to the energy crisis and increased use of coal in coal-fired power plants and households. The year before last, however, mining companies had already recorded a decline of almost 15 percent.

Lignite accounts for the bulk of the mineral extracted. However, its production has also seen a sharp decline. Last year, 23.68 million tonnes of lignite were mined, almost 18 percent less year on year. The vast majority was used as industrial coal. The key lignite deposits in Czechia are in the foothills of the Ore Mountains, around Most, Chomutov and Teplice. The most important sites are the ČSA and Bílina mines. Lignite mining also continues in the Sokolov region.

Mining companies produced 1.35 million tonnes of hard coal last year, which now accounts for only a very small share of total mining in Czechia. That was about 1.5 percent less year on year. Most of it, specifically 739,000 tonnes, was coal intended for energy use. More than 611,000 tonnes of coking coal were produced; it can be used to make coke, which is then used, for example, in pig iron production.

The last operating hard coal mine in Czechia is ČSM, in the Karviná region. It was originally due to operate only until mid-2023, but under the current plans of state-owned company OKD, mining is expected to continue until around mid-2026.

Coke production also fell alongside hard coal mining. It amounted to 1.37 million tonnes last year, one-third less than the year before.