HC Deb 08 February 2000 vol 344 cc120-1W
Mr. Clapham

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the percentage was of UK-mined coal burned by individual power stations in Britain in 1999. [109019]

Mrs. Liddell

In the 12 months to November 1999 major power producers' net purchases of coal amounted to 40.1 million tonnes. Of this, 32.8 million tonnes (82 per cent.) was of UK purchased coal and 7.3 million tonnes (18 per cent.) was of imported coal. The total quantity of coal consumed by major power producers over this 12 month period was 39.2 million tonnes. Data for individual coal-fired power stations are not available.

Mr. Trickett

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the accessible coal reserves in each of the collieries in Yorkshire; what is their current rate of depletion; and what is his estimate of the life of each colliery at current rates of depletion. [109116]

Mrs. Liddell

As part of its Review of Energy Sources for Power Generation, the Department of Trade and Industry commissioned International Mining Consultants Limited (IMCL) to provide a report on the prospects for coal production in England, Scotland and Wales in the period to 2020. That report was substantially undertaken in May 1998 and published by The Stationery Office in March 1999. Since that time the world price of coal has fallen and this is likely in general terms to have reduced the levels of economically workable reserves and to have accelerated the date at which economic reserves of some collieries are likely to exhaust.

A summary of the assessment of reserves for each of the collieries in Yorkshire as at early 1998 was shown as follows:

Proven (Mt) Probable (Mt)
Ricall1 4.664 14.793
Stillingfleet2 2.315 20.102
Wistow 3.085 11.173
Kellingley 3.698 11.509
Maltby 4.086 15.222
Prince of Wales 2.258 2.953
Rossington 12.714
Hatfield 0.305 1.639
1 Ricall/Whitemoor combine
2 Stillingfleet/North Selby combine

Various scenarios were considered in the report. The summary of projected operating performance prepared by IMCL, on the scenario of current mines to exhaustion at company output levels full profit/loss cost basis, for each of the collieries in Yorkshire in 1998 was shown as follows:

1998 output 000t Projected exhaustion date
Ricall1 1,730 2009
Stillingfleet2 3,700 2009
Wistow 2,600 2009
Kellingley 1,348 2020
Maltby 1,400 2020
Prince of Wales 1,750 2009
Rossington 825 2020
Hatfield 348 2009
1 Ricall/Whitemoor combine
2 Stillingfleet/North Selby combine