Czech coal miner OKD to extend mining at least until end of 2023

Czech coal miner OKD will extend mining at least until the end of 2023, Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura and OKD board chairman Roman Sikora announced on Thursday, adding that the country has enough thermal as well as coking coal.

The company currently has thermal coal contracts concluded with key customers until June 30, 2023. OKD management will start seeking mining permits for the next period, which would allow it to secure coal supplies for key customers until 2025.

Coal production in the EU has been declining since 1990, along with the number of countries mining hard coal. In 1990, black coal was mined in 13 EU countries, but now it is only mined in Poland and the Czech Republic, where OKD is the only producer.