Mining company, UK Coal has been awarded the prestigious Carbon Trust Standard after taking action to reduce the carbon footprint of its operations. It achieved a 45% absolute reduction in its carbon footprint over the past three years, which represents a greenhouse gas reduction of 980,000 t of CO₂. “The measures we have taken clearly demonstrate UK Coal’s full commitment to reduce our own carbon footprint and support for national objective of cutting emissions of greenhouse gases”, says Chief Executive Jon Lloyd. 

The Standard is awarded only to companies that pass rigorous, independent investigation into the measures they are taking that have a direct beneficial impact on reducing their carbon footprint and their environmental impact.

Lloyd: “We have made substantial investment in new technology and more energy efficient equipment over recent years, and will continue to do so to maintain supplies of coal produced in the UK and reduce the need for imported coal which has a significantly higher carbon transport footprint.”

Measures taken by the company include:

• Using methane extracted from mines for safety reasons to generate electricity. Methane generation has increased by 119% over the last three years, from 75.8 GWh to 165.8 GWh, following a £15 million investment in gas turbines. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas with a global warming potential 21 times that of CO₂
• Upgrading the fleet of vehicles used in surface mining with engines which have improved fuel efficiency by 13.7%. Company cars are now fuelled by diesel rather than petrol
• The installation of a new high efficient booster fan at Welbeck Colliery at a cost of £480,000 that almost doubled air ventilation flow whilst reducing energy consumption.
• Installing variable speed drive motors on high-power coal cutting equipment and coal conveyance systems at mines to reduce energy consumption
• Introduced a Teflon additive to greases and oils to prolong the life cycle of components, reduce frictional losses and achieve energy savings.

Lloyd: “Coal today generates around one-third of all the electricity generated in the UK. The government has repeatedly stated that without coal, the lights would go out in parts of Britain. We and other coal producers fully support the wide range of initiatives being taken by the government to ensure coal remains an important part of our energy mix, consumed in a way which addresses the concerns over the environment and climate change. We continue to work with others to achieve that goal.”

Harry Morrison, General Manager, Carbon Trust Standard: “To build the low carbon economy of the future, it is essential that all companies across all sectors focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. These efforts are even more important for companies with carbon-intensive operations such as mining. UK Coal has made a significant achievement in reducing its corporate carbon footprint by 45%, and we welcome their continued efforts to further drive carbon out of their day to day business.”