Published: Friday, 30th November, 2007 09:00
Consortium calls to reopen mine
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LONGANNET Colliery, near Kincardine, could and should be reopened to create hundreds of local jobs – according to the Scottish Mineworkers Consortium.
The group of ex-miners are leading calls to look into the possibility of re-opening the pit which closed following a flood in April 2002.
As the price of fossil fuels rise globally the consortium believes the solution to Scotland’s energy problem could well be underneath our own doorsteps.
Jim Parker, from the Scottish Mineworkers Consortium, told the Advertiser, “People here just assume the coal industry finished in the 1980s but it is booming worldwide.
“With today’s technology you could access the giant coalfield at Airth from the Longannet mine. If you compare the amount of coal down there too oil it would be like discovering a new giant oil field.”
According to the consortium, once the mine was reopened it would be in a position to provide 450 skilled jobs and, over the next 10 years, it could provide 25 per cent of Scotland’s energy needs.
Mr Parker added, “There is so much coal down there you could still be taking it out for the next 30 to 40 years when Longannet is scheduled to close.”
The concern for Mr Parker and the consortium is the lack of support from politicians at present for the plan.
They believe that the longer the mine sits dormant the more difficult it will be practically and technically to re-open.
Mr Parker said, “They reopen mines all over the world – it’s nothing new. My grandfather worked in a mine that had previously been sunk, and that was a long, long time ago.
“We still have the skilled workforce – but the politicians need to act now.”
Longannet sits in the constituency of Jim Tolson, the Liberal Democrat MSP for Dunfermline West, who is not opposed to the plans but, at present, does not see it as being a financially appealing move.
Mr Tolson said, “We would like to see evidence it is financially viable to reopen the mine.
“I know the coal is there but after the flooding I don’t see it as being financially viable to open the site.
“Rightly or wrongly, we can presently get cheap coal from other opencast sources in Scotland. It would take a lot of public or private money to look into re-opening Longannet and I don’t think it is financially viable at the moment.”
The consortium did receive support from the councillor for West Fife villages, William Walker, who believes locally mined coal could power Scotland for years to come.
He said, “Clean coal technology is bringing coal to the fore again and it is not environmentally friendly to ship coal across the world.
“Oil will run out eventually but coal will be here for a long time and could keep Scotland going for years. But a study would have to be done, and it all takes money, which we don’t have too much of.”
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