European Railroad Discussion > Last UK Rail Delivery of Power Station Coal

GB Railfreight has delivered the last unit coal train to a power station in the UK.  The imported coal was moved from the Port of Immingham to the Ratcliffe Power Station with that facility scheduled to shut down in September.  This should mark the historic last rail movement of coal to a power station in the UK.  Press release by GB Railfreight:

https://www.gbrailfreight.com/gb-railfreight-completes-historic-final-coal-delivery-and-names-a-locomotive-ratcliffe-power-station/

Questions: Does there remain any movement of coal such as metallurgical coal for the steel industry or for other industrial facilities such as cement plants?  Do any South Wales mines remain open with rail movement for export?

milepost20 Wrote:
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> Questions: Does there remain any movement of coal
> such as metallurgical coal for the steel industry
> or for other industrial facilities such as cement
> plants?  Do any South Wales mines remain open
> with rail movement for export?

Hope cement works (largest in the UK) in Derbyshire takes a weekly coal train from the port of Immingham. I think there's one South Wales underground mine open.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/01/24 10:20 by exhaustED.

Coke is currently being transported from Immingham to Scunthorpe steelworks by train. But Scunthorpe is due to replace its blast furnaces with an EAF, as is the steelworks at Port Talbot in South Wales, so that will come to an end shortly. It used to be metallurgical coal but British Steel closed the coking plant and now relies on imports of coke. Earlier this year Port Talbot had issues with the unloading equipment in their port facility and coke was landed at Newport and Cardiff and railed to the steel works. But that only lasted a few weeks. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/02/24 10:54 by 86235.

Not sure where the met coal comes from that goes to Port Talbot (Tata Steel), but the integrated side is not long for this world. Closure is expected by September, or maybe one furnace may remain active until the new EAFs are up and running in a couple years. Either way, looks like coal delivery by rail is almost a thing of the past in the UK...

JG

jgilmore Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Not sure where the met coal comes from that goes
> to Port Talbot (Tata Steel), but the integrated
> side is not long for this world. Closure is
> expected by September, or maybe one furnace may
> remain active until the new EAFs are up and
> running in a couple years. Either way, looks like
> coal delivery by rail is almost a thing of the
> past in the UK...
>
> JG
Port Talbot's coal is imported by ship, as is the iron ore.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/02/24 10:48 by 86235.