On the night of February 1, the last coal mine ČSM in the northeastern Czech Republic, located in the village of Stonava near the Polish border, ceased operations. This marked a symbolic end to nearly 250 years of underground coal mining in the region.
This is reported by Finway
Employee Layoffs and Future Plans
The only coal-producing company in the country, OKD, laid off 750 employees on January 31. By the end of February, approximately 150 more employees, mostly from the processing plant, will also be laid off. Compensation for those laid off is planned, totaling over 500 million crowns, with the average payout equivalent to 11 months’ salary depending on years of service. Additionally, for those who have not yet reached retirement age, a voluntary employment assistance program or support for starting their own business is available.
The Last Coal Car and the Future of Mine ČSM
On Sunday, February 4, a symbolic last coal car is scheduled to be raised. According to OKD spokesperson Barbora Černá Dvořáková, “The miners will go on their last shift at 21:45 [on Saturday]. The shift ends on Sunday at 5:45. They will extract coal for the last time from a depth of 1300 meters. After this shift, the machines in the last seam will stop.”
“The miners will go on their last shift at 21:45 [on Saturday]. The shift ends on Sunday at 5:45. They will extract coal for the last time from a depth of 1300 meters. After this shift, the machines in the last seam will stop,” said OKD spokesperson Barbora Černá Dvořáková.
The ČSM mine has been in operation since December 1968. During this time, it has extracted nearly 124.3 million tons of coal, averaging over 2 million tons per year. A record volume of 2.87 million tons was achieved in 2012.
OKD’s CEO Roman Sikora emphasized that the Czech Republic is no longer dependent on coal for energy, and the demand for coking coal has significantly decreased. Furthermore, according to Sikora, further extraction of remaining coal is economically and technically unfeasible, and the lack of mining schools makes it impossible to replenish qualified personnel.
The technical decommissioning of the mine will take about three years, during which the company will employ 600 workers. OKD is already working on a business plan for 2050, including exploring the possibility of collecting and utilizing mine gas.
Earlier, the Czech government announced its intention to implement guarantee and insurance support programs for companies planning to operate in Ukraine. Additionally, in October of last year, the Czech Republic provided Slovakia with expedited support for gas supply. This occurred after the decision by EU energy ministers to gradually stop importing energy resources from Russia, with a complete ban starting in January 2028.