Czechia’s last hard coal mine closes as 250 years of mining come to an end

After nearly two and a half centuries, hard coal mining in the Czech Republic has come to an end. The final mining shift surfaced from the ČSM mine in the Ostrava–Karviná coal basin late on Sunday night. A symbolic last cart of coal will be brought to the surface on Wednesday.

The ČSM coal mine in Stonava|Photo: OKD

These sounds mark the end of an era. What we hear is the last real extraction of hard coal in Czechia. The recording comes from a depth of 1,300 metres, from longwall face 463204/1. This is the place from which the very last tons of Czech hard coal were brought to the surface during the night shift from Saturday to Sunday.

Miners will still descend underground in the coming months, but only to dismantle equipment and close the ČSM mine.

Among those who worked here, reconciliation and resignation prevail. Many simply shrug and prefer not to talk much about the end of mining, including preparation worker Lukáš Budaj on the day of his final shift.

Miner in the ČSM mine|Photo: Zuzana Jarolímková, iROZHLAS.cz

“I feel bad about it, but what can I do? There’s nothing else left for me. At the same time, I feel some relief. There are job offers, and I already know where I’m going.”

His colleague Petr Foltýn, from the equipment division, is leaving after an incredible 41 years underground.

“I take it as a fact. I’ve come to terms with it. I’m looking forward to retirement.”

In contrast, older retired miners, many of whom still proudly wear their uniforms, speak out more openly. One of them is Karel Piško:

The ČSM mine in Stonava|Photo: OKD

“From an economic point of view, it’s definitely not good that we are closing all the shafts. We have steelworks. We still need coke.”

And his colleague Silvestr Greguš adds:

“Importing coal that we still have here? That’s ridiculous. It’s a disgrace, and not just for miners!”

Demand for Czech hard coal, however, has been steadily declining, says Roman Sikora, CEO of the mining company OKD. There are also no new miners coming in. The average age of the current workforce is almost 50.

The ČSM mine, originally known as the Czechoslovak Youth Mine, is owned by OKD, long the country’s largest mining company and Czechia’s only producer of hard coal.

The ČSM coal mine in Stonava|Photo: Zuzana Jarolímková, iROZHLAS.cz

Construction began in 1958, and the first coal was extracted in December 1968. By the end of 2025, the mine had produced around 124 million tons of coal, an average of roughly 2.2 million tons per year over its 57-year history.

More than 400 million tons of coal remain underground in the mine’s extraction area, but according to Sikora, they are no longer worth mining.

“There are reserves beneath us, but they are unextractable, economically, geologically, and in terms of manpower. Mining would also affect built-up areas. We would have to relocate parts of the population, especially in Karviná’s Staré Město district.”

The ČSM mine in Stonava|Photo: OKD

OKD is now planning its future beyond mining. The company intends to focus on energy production using purchased coal and existing stockpiles. It also plans to develop property in the Staré Město area, land once earmarked for further mining.

Meanwhile, nearly two billion tons of hard coal will remain underground across the Ostrava and Karviná regions and parts of the Beskydy Mountains, according to the state-owned company Diamo. The abandoned underground workings will gradually be flooded with water, making the coal effectively inaccessible.

For comparison, around 1.7 billion tons of hard coal have been mined in the entire Ostrava–Karviná basin since 1770, less than the amount that will now stay permanently beneath the surface.