Coal imports grow rapidly in Poland

Warsaw (Puls Biznesu) – Coal production keeps falling, importers thrive while Polish mines are losing money.

Poland, EU biggest coal producer, imported 5.8m tons of coal last year. This is the capacity of four middle-sized mines. Since 2004, imports have grown by 3.4m tons. Production has dropped by 11.7m tons at the same time, according to the newest reports “PB” has received.

“For many years, we used to finance from the state budget the process of closing mines. We failed to invest in new fields. That’s why imports grow, and production falls”, Leon Kurczabinski from Katowicki Holding Weglowy coal group said.

For the first time in history, Poland imports coal from the USA. Russian companies deliver big majority of coal as well. In 2007, SUEK, Russia’s biggest coal producer, launched operations in Poland.

“Last year, we imported to Poland 0.7m tons of coal. This year, we plan 0.7-1m tons. Decreasing production is good news to us”, Piotr Matuszak, SUEK Polska CEO said.

Eugeniusz Postolski, deputy minister of economy, believes that it was because of wrong decisions of managements of coal companies that production had fallen by nearly 7m tons in 2007.
Source:pb.pl