New metallurgical coal mine to open.....

Discussion in 'Bulletin Board' started by Didcot Red, Apr 30, 2019.

  1. Did

    Didcot Red Well-Known Member

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    At Whitehaven. I had to do a double take on this news as I thought that deep mining for coal in this country was history. Apparently not. A new mine is to be developed specialising in metallurgical coal, which is in short supply. The mine will exploit reserves under the Irish Sea and exported to steel works in Europe via Middlesbrough (I think). Certainly the railway serving Cumbria is being upgraded to take the coal wagons to the East coast.
     
    Didcot Red, Apr 30, 2019
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  2. Vesp77

    Vesp77 Well-Known Member

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    Why are we still wasting time and money on fossil fuels?
     
    Vesp77, Apr 30, 2019
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  3. Did

    Didcot Red Well-Known Member

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    I think this is specialist coal for iron/steel making. I'm not sure if it can be made without coal, although I am about as far from an expert on such processes as it is possible to be.
     
    Didcot Red, Apr 30, 2019
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  4. Stephen Dawson

    Stephen Dawson Well-Known Member

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    Especially coal. It's really hard to burn. Have you ever tried to start a fire using it? Talk about tedious. I'm all for re-installing heavy industries and creating jobs but agree there has to be a better way.
     
    Stephen Dawson, Apr 30, 2019
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  5. thetykester

    thetykester Well-Known Member

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    It will be for the coking ovens to make metallurgical coke.
     
    thetykester, Apr 30, 2019
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  6. Did

    Didcot Red Well-Known Member

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    Yes. I think you are correct. The article I read mentioned coking coal.
     
    Didcot Red, Apr 30, 2019
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  7. thetykester

    thetykester Well-Known Member

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    Yeh mate worked at Monckton coke ovens at Royston up to it closing in 2014.
     
    thetykester, Apr 30, 2019
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  8. Mr Badger

    Mr Badger Well-Known Member

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    Blimey, has that stinky old place closed now?
    Didn't know.
     
    Mr Badger, Apr 30, 2019
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  9. Stephen Dawson

    Stephen Dawson Well-Known Member

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    It smelt like a permanent curry fart.
     
    Stephen Dawson, Apr 30, 2019
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  10. Did

    Didcot Red Well-Known Member

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    There's a knack to it. When my Dad was alive we used to visit him in Wombwell. My sons used to be waiting for him to get up in the morning so they could "help" him light the coal fire. He used the wooden bridge method. When there was no wood he could light it with paper screws, although that was much more tricky. He also used a sheet of newspaper and a coal shovel to draw the fire. More often that not resulting it the paper catching fire.

    Towards the end of his "career" at Darfield Main he used to come home with Mother's Pride wrapper full of kindling wood which had been chopped during "slack"periods underground.
     
    Didcot Red, Apr 30, 2019
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  11. thetykester

    thetykester Well-Known Member

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    Yep last oven to be pushed was oven 17 at 2pm Dec 16th 2014
     
    thetykester, Apr 30, 2019
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  12. thetykester

    thetykester Well-Known Member

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    That's the sulphur mate, did stink a bit.
     
    thetykester, Apr 30, 2019
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  13. der

    derred Member

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    Did a tour of Liberty steel at Rotherham. They said they couldn't get hold of coke now that all the coke ovens had closed so had switched to using anthracite. Always thought that was another name for coal, but seemingly they're different. It could be that they're mining.

    Seem to recall that Maltby colliery supplied coal for Monkton and closure of ovens may have been related to Maltby closing. Something to do with Hargreaves.
     
    derred, Apr 30, 2019
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  14. thetykester

    thetykester Well-Known Member

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    Yes indeed Maltby did supply us with coal & it's closure had an impact on MoncKton as we had to import coal from America. The killer for us though was the Chinese flooded the market with dirt cheap coke but no where near as good quality. :(
     
    Last edited: Apr 30, 2019
    thetykester, Apr 30, 2019
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  15. thetykester

    thetykester Well-Known Member

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    Also, yes Hargreaves did own both Monckton coke works & Maltby pit.
     
    thetykester, Apr 30, 2019
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  16. shed131

    shed131 Well-Known Member

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    Many years ago they did trials at grimethope whereby they were able to extract the carbon thus making it cleaner coal... Early 80s .. The technology was about then and if I'm not mistaken the whole product and its ownership was sold to the yanks...

    I also recall one of the lads on here been very knowledgeable about the said trials in fact the said discussion thread that was held was very interesting
     
    shed131, Apr 30, 2019
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  17. Dalestykes

    Dalestykes Well-Known Member

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    My first job after leaving school. An International Energy Agency (EAI) Fluidised Bed Combustion Project. It was a joint UK, USA, German project to, as you say, produce Clean Coal. Mrs T pulled the plug on the venture.
    Had some great 5 a side games with the technicians. The Germans were technically very good and the Americans were very..........enthusiastic.
     
    Dalestykes, May 1, 2019
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  18. shed131

    shed131 Well-Known Member

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    Fluidised... Yep that's what my old fella spoke enthusiastically about when he was at grimethope...he said at the time... if it takes off it would revolutionise the coal industry... He passed away in 2014 and to his dying day he reckoned the pits would one day reopen... Looks like he's correct bless him
     
    shed131, May 1, 2019
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