Last coal wagon leaves Stonava mine as black coal mining ends in Czechia

On Wednesday, miners at the ČSM mine in Stonava, Karviná, hauled the last wagon of coal from a depth of 1,300 metres. This marks the symbolic end of black coal mining in the Ostrava-Karviná region and the entire Czech Republic after nearly 250 years. Dozens of guests attended the ceremony underground, while others watched on two large outdoor screens, the Czech News Agency reported.

The company that ran the last coal mine is state-owned OKD. As mining gradually became uneconomical, the company closed all its mines and is now shifting to other activities. On the last day of January, 750 workers lost their jobs at the mines, with another 150 leaving by February 28. Technical decommissioning of the last mines, where coal was extracted for almost 50 years, is expected to take about three years.

Analysts say the closure will have a negligible impact on the Czech energy sector. Brown coal is still mined in north-western Bohemia but is also expected to end in the coming years.